© Lonely Planet Publications

Contents
The Author 11 Grand Bahama 100
Freeport & Lucaya 101

Getting Started 13 East of Freeport

West of Freeport
118
120

Itineraries 16 Biminis, Berry

Islands & Andros 125
BIMINIS 126
Lonely Planet books
provide independent
Snapshot 20 North Bimini 127
South Bimini 132
advice. Lonely Planet does
North Cat Cay 133
not accept advertising in
guidebooks, nor do we History 21 BERRY ISLANDS
Great Harbour Cay
133
134
accept payment in
Chub Cay 135
exchange for listing or
endorsing any place or The Culture 29 ANDROS
North & Central Andros
135
138
business. Lonely Planet
South Andros 143
writers do not accept
discounts or payments Environment 37
in exchange for positive Abacos 146
coverage of any sort.
Diving 45 Marsh Harbour
Loyalist Cays
148
155
Lonely Planet réalise South of Marsh Harbour 164
ses guides en toute
indépendance et les
ouvrages ne contien-
Food & Drink 55 Northwest of Marsh
Harbour 165
Northwest Cays 173
nent aucune publicité.
Les établissements et
prestataires mentionnés
New Providence 62 Eleuthera 174
NASSAU 63 NORTH ELEUTHERA 175
dans ce guide ne le sont
que sur la foi du jugement History 63 Harbour Island 175
et des recherches des Orientation 65 Spanish Wells 183
auteurs, qui n’acceptent Information 67 Preacher’s Cave 184
aucune rétribution ou Dangers & Annoyances 70 Current 184
réduction de prix en Sights 70 Gregory Town 185
échange de leurs com- Beaches 78 Gregory Town to
mentaires. Governor’s Harbour 186
Nassau for Children 82
Governor’s Harbour 187
Tours 82
Los libros de Lonely Planet North & South Palmetto
Festivals & Events 83 Point 189
ofrecen información Sleeping 84 SOUTH ELEUTHERA 190
independiente. La editorial Eating 88 Windermere Island 190
no acepta ningún tipo de Rock Sound 190
Drinking 92
propaganda en las guías, Cotton Bay to Eleuthera
Entertainment 93
así como tampoco endorsa Point 191
Shopping 95
ninguna entidad comercial
Getting There & Away 96
o destino. Los escritores de
Lonely Planet no aceptan Getting Around 96 The Exumas 192
descuentos o pagos de AROUND NASSAU 98 GREAT EXUMA 193
ningun tipo a cambio de West New Providence 98 George Town 193
comentarios favorables. South New Providence 98 Stocking Island & Rolle Cay 200
© Lonely Planet Publications
10 C O N T E N T S

North of George Town

South of George Town
200
202
Rum Cay
Conception Island
220
220
Turks Islands 258
GRAND TURK 260
LITTLE EXUMA 202
Cockburn Town 261
Ferry to Williams Town
EXUMA CAYS
202
203 Southern Bahamas 221 Grand Turk Cays Land
& Sea Park 266
Ship Channel Cay & LONG ISLAND 222
SALT CAY 266
Allan’s Cays 203 North Long Island 222
Highborne Cay 203 South Long Island 226
Norman’s Cay
Exuma Cays Land &
203 CROOKED ISLAND
DISTRICT 229
Directory 270
Sea Park 204 Crooked Island 229
Compass & Sampson
Cays 205
Long Cay
ACKLINS ISLAND
232
232
Transportation 287
Staniel Cay 206 Samana Cay 233
Great Guana Cay
Little Farmer’s Cay
206
207
Plana Cays
INAGUAS &
233 Health 296
Lee Stocking Island 207 MAYAGUANA 233
Great & Little Inagua
Mayaguana
235
237
Glossary 301
Cat & San
Salvador Islands 208 303
CAT ISLAND 209 Caicos Islands 240 Behind the Scenes
South Cat Island 210 Providenciales 242
North Cat Island
SAN SALVADOR
214
215
West Caicos
French Cay
251
252
World Time Zones 305
Cockburn Town 217 Cays East of Providenciales 252
Northwest Coast 219 North Caicos 253 Index 309
Northeast Coast 219 Middle Caicos 255
Southeast Coast 219 East Caicos 256
Southwest Coast 219 South Caicos 256 Map Legend 316

Regional Map Contents

Grand Bahama Abacos
(pp102–3) (p147)

Berry
Islands
Biminis (p133)
(p126) Eleuthera
(pp176–7)

New Cat Island

Providence (p209)
Andros (pp64–5)
(p136) San Salvador
(p216)

Exumas Long Island

(p193) (p223)

Caicos Islands
Inaguas & (p241)
Crooked & Mayaguana
Acklins Islands & (p233)
Long Cay
(p230) Turks Islands
(p259)
 © Lonely Planet Publications
13
You can buy, download and
print individual chapters from

Getting Started
this guidebook.
Get Bahamas, Turks & Caicos
chapters

Your visit to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos will benefit from a bit
of preplanning. It’s not particularly difficult to get to the region or to
navigate your way around, but a little forethought will save you money
as accommodations, travel and eating costs can be high. If you’re after a
get-away-from-it-all experience it’s wise to avoid costly stays in Nassau
between flights. See the island chapters and Transportation on p287 for
more suggestions and local airline information.
See Accommodations on p270 for some suggestions on how to save
money on accommodation.

WHEN TO GO
The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos enjoy approximately 320 sunny
days a year. During winter (December to April), temperatures average
70°F to 78°F, while in summer (mid-April to mid-December) a range of
80°F to 90°F is the norm. Winter is the best time to visit as the weather
is balmy and there are fewer mosquitoes. Humidity in the northern
See Climate Charts (p277)
islands is relatively high year-round, but lower in the southern islands.
for more information.
The rainy season extends from late May to November, with the hurri-
cane season occurring toward the end of this period – from September
through November.
The peak holiday season typically runs from mid-December to mid-
April, and at this time hotel prices are highest. Some hotels are booked
solid around Christmas and Easter; it’s especially advisable to plan ahead
if you want to visit during these periods.

COSTS & MONEY

The Bahamian dollar is linked one-to-one with the US dollar, and the
Turks and Caicos has the US dollar as its official currency, so all prices
in this guide are in US dollars. A midrange traveler visiting during peak
season and budgeting on accommodations and two meals a day should
expect to spend from $120 to $200 per day. If you’re traveling on a budget
you can get by on $105 to $120 per day, while those wanting to stay in
top-end accommodations will pay upward of $200 each day. On top of

DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT…

Photographic equipment and film as these are pricey in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.
Proof of ownership of laptops and computer equipment to show customs officials.
Your patience, if flying with Bahamasair across the region.
A healthy liver and a bottle opener – there are some fabulous local beers!
An empty suitcase in which to gather some duty-free goodies and original vibrant artworks.
Your manners, which will be held in very high esteem across the islands.
A balance of priorities for any vegetarians and vegans who will enjoy much here, but not the
cuisine.
Diapers, tampons and teabags as these can be hard to find and expensive to buy in the outer
islands.
Condoms, especially as AIDS is a growing concern in the Bahamas.
 14 G E T T I N G S TA R T E D • • T r a v e l L i t e r a t u re www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G E T T I N G S TA R T E D • • R e s p o n s i b l e T r a v e l 15

these prices you will also need to budget in bottled water, all drinks,
activities and travel to your costs. CONDUCT IN THE BAHAMAS & TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
Even if you prefer to use cash, credit cards are required by airlines and People are courteous and conservative on the islands, and it takes very little to open the door
most lodgings as a form of security (with the paperwork torn-up upon to their welcoming and friendly ways.
payment). Travelers checks are accepted in many places, but the further Always greet people with a smile, and, when driving on the outer islands, with a wave.
off-the-beaten track you are, the more cash is preferred.
When greeting someone, ask about their welfare before addressing any business.
TRAVEL LITERATURE Wait in lines or queues to be served.
There are heaps of good books that will provide insight into the history, Tip around 15% in bars, restaurants and cafés.
culture and lifestyle of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Below is a
Dress formally for church and smartly for any evening entertainment.
selection of these.
Bahama Saga: the Epic Story of the Bahama Island by Peter Barratt is a Cover up swimming gear and bare bods when heading for town.
well-researched, very digestible ‘factional’ novel that details the history
of the Bahamas.
Isles of Eden by Harvey Lloyd is a splendid coffee-table book about life regattas. For more information on these and other festivals in the region
in the southern Family Islands. This book has some super photos. see the island chapters and the Directory on p279.
Tale from Margaritaville: Fictional Facts & Factual Fictions by Jimmy
Buffett. He is better known as a singer-songwriter, and he clearly RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
adores the Bahamas; this collection of short stories affectionately de- The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos are promoting care for their environ-
picts island life. ment; here’s how to help.
Don’t Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk is a funny romp about a Don’t touch or stand on coral. Coral is extremely sensitive and can be
New York publicist who gives it all up to open a hotel on a fictitious killed by touch. Snorkelers, divers, fishing fans and boaters should be
Caribbean isle. The book was made into a musical by Jimmy Buffett especially careful.
in the ’90s. Don’t buy products made from endangered species, such as anything
Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemingway provides a fictitious but made from coral or conch shell. Some of these are killed to make
accurate look at the Biminis and island life, as well as his own bohe- trinkets for tourists, so please shop with a conscience.
mian ways during WWII. Not one of his best, but an interesting read Don’t eat meals using endangered species. Whatever the tourist dollar
nevertheless. will buy, the poacher will supply. Still widely eaten across the islands,
‘Who Let the Dog Out?’ Dottie’s Story by Carole Hughes tells the tale grouper and conch fall into these categories.
about a Dalmatian born in Green Turtle Cay who heads off to explore Keep to the footpaths. When you’re hiking, always follow designated
“...catch the world. This one is for the kiddies, and is lots of fun. trails. The breeding grounds of animals and habitats of plants are easily
the island’s Once Below a Time: Bahamian Stories by Telcine Turner’s is an illus- destroyed by walkers who stray off the beaten path.
trated collection of short stories for children. Youngsters might also Discourage littering. Forget about social protocols – if you see other
biggest enjoy Climbing Clouds: Stories & Poems from the Bahamas, which is travelers throw their litter on the ground or stick their cigarette butts in
and best also edited by Turner. the sand, please do something about it. If they’re bigger than you, pick
festivals: up their rubbish. Otherwise, tell them to put it in the trash themselves.
INTERNET RESOURCES
Boxing Day’s See also Tourist Information on p285.
Junkanoo... Abacos Islands (www.go-abacos.com) The official website has good practical information.
and any of Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (www.bahamas.com) The official tourism site is a useful place
to start researching your trip.
the island’s Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board (www.bahama-out-islands.com) Information about
regattas.” the Family Islands, including a listing of events.
Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board (www.grand-bahama.com) Another good official site,
with useful regional information.
Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) With postcards from other travelers and the Thorn Tree
bulletin board.
Provo.net (www.provo.net) Providenciales (known as ‘Provo’), the main gateway to the Turks
and Caicos Islands.
Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board (www.turksandcaicostourism.com) The official site of
these islands has much practical information.

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

If possible, try to catch the island’s biggest and best festivals: Boxing
Day’s Junkanoo, summer’s goombay celebrations, and any of the island’s
 16 www.lonelyplanet.com I T I N E R A R I E S • • C l a s s i c R o u t e s 17

TURKS & CAICOS TRANQUIL TOP SPOTS

Itineraries
Three Weeks to Two Months
Fly into friendly Providenciales (p242) for a few days’ bumming around on
delightful Grace Bay Beach (p242) and nights’ playing at the surrounding
bars and restaurants. Hire a car to visit some sights such as the stunning

CLASSIC ROUTES
BAHAMAS HIGHLIGHTS One to Two Months
Spend three days in Nassau (p63) sightseeing before taking a three-day trip
The Bahamas’ to Alice Town in North Bimini (p127). There, go bonefishing or snorkel the
mystical Bimini Road, and raise a glass at Hemingway’s haunts (p131).
870-mile run is Make your way to Grand Bahama (p106) for glorious beach bumming,
a waterbaby’s trips to see dolphins (p107) and kayaking in Lucayan National Park (p118). Fly
delight: snorkel, to Abaco’s Treasure Cay and enjoy the exquisite Treasure Cay Beach (p165).
dive or enjoy the Take a ferry from Marsh Harbour (p148) to friendly Green Turtle Cay (p171) for a
shallows off tiny Goombay Smash, and to Elbow Cay (p155) to wander Hope Town’s streets.
Having returned to Nassau, catch a fast ferry to see the beautiful people
islands dotted on Harbour Island (p175), and enjoy the rosy hue of Pink Sands Beach (p178) at
with cute churches sunset. Then catch a ferry and hire a car so you can delight in the beaches
and lively bars. and Duck Inn at Governor’s Harbour in Eleuthera (p187). Fly via Nassau to
Jump on a water George Town in Great Exuma (p193) to sleep under the stars in a houseboat
(p198). Visit Stocking Island (p200) and snorkel at Thunderball Grotto (p206).
taxi, ferry or plane Then fly onto pretty Long Island (p222). Once there, drive to the striking
for your next churches of Clarence Town (p227) and the world’s deepest blue hole at Turtle
deserted beach. Cove (p228). Dive from Shark Reef (p226) and at Guana Key beach (p226).
Chalk Sound National Park (p245) and the western hills. Then sign up for fan-
tastic boat excursions to Little Water Cay (p252) to meet friendly iguanas,
French Cay (p252) for a dive with gentle stingrays, or Pine Cay (p252) for an
Start with some
unforgettable dive or two or to bask in the light of glowworms. partying, then
Take a flight directly to North Caicos (p253) and spend a few days cyc- move across the
ling along the paved roads, enjoying the scenery of this island’s lush 95 miles of this
vegetation. Make sure you visit the Wades Green Plantation ruins (p254), route for some
the magnificent, leggy flamingos at Flamingo Pond (p254) and Three Mary
Cays National Park (p242), which is also a flamingo sanctuary, for a snorkel. beach living and
Hikers should then fly to the Middle Caicos Reserve & Trail System (p255), exhilarating
where the unspoilt beauty of pine forests and freshwater lakes, and the encounters in
adorable lovely cottages of Middle Caicos can be enjoyed. the ocean’s coral
Divers and those who appreciate the quiet life should fly from North ‘cities’. On these
Caicos to Grand Turk (p260) for a few relaxing days. Wander the quiet
beaches and streets of Cockburn Town (p261) and spend the evenings at islands time ticks
friendly local bars, such as the Sand Bar (p265), or take night dives to by slowly. The
the famous and fabulous reef wall, where the coral glows as though soothing seas and
it has gemstones encrusted in it. Make sure you don’t miss diving at gentle folk will
Macdonalds (p263), which is frequented by groupers and angelfish, or
near the 18th-century shipwreck at Salt Cay (p266). Here, the land holds entice you to slow
relics of the ‘white-gold’ trade and the seas envelope birthing humpback down, unfold and
whales (p268). really blossom.

Green Turtle Cay

Grand Bahama
Lucayan
National Park Treasure Cay Wades
Green
Elbow Cay Plantation
Freeport Marsh Three Mary Cays Flamingo
Harbour National Park Pond

Pine Cay Middle

Little Caicos
Water Cay
Alice
Town
Harbour Grace Bay North
Middle
Island Chalk Sound Caicos Caicos
National Park Reserve &
Providenciales Trail System South
Eleuthera Caicos
Governor's Harbour

NASSAU
Grand
Turk (UK)
Macdonalds

Cockburn
French Town
Cay
Thunderball
Grotto

Stocking
Island Salt
Cay
George Town Shark
Reef Guana Key
Turtle Cove
Long Clarence Town
Island
 18 I T I N E R A R I E S • • R o a d s Le s s T r a v e l e d www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com I T I N E R A R I E S • • Ta i l o re d T r i p s 19

ROADS LESS TRAVELED TAILORED TRIPS

DIVING & SNORKELING
OUT ISLAND ADVENTURES Two Months You can’t beat diving or snorkeling with whales, which, in season, is
Travel the untrod- For explorers, the vast but relatively undeveloped Andros (p135) will surely best from Salt Cay (p266) in the Turks and Caicos. At Grand Turk (p263)
appeal. Smothered in pine forests, thick undergrowth and wetlands, the there’s also a myriad of great dive sites that are home to dozing turtles,
den 2390-mile Bluff (p144) on South Andros has a palm-lined sandy hideaway. Central grinning moray eels and giant groupers. Snorkelers will love Gibb’s Cay
route through this Andros (p138) has waterways and caves. (p263), where southern stingrays flutter. You can venture to South Caicos
region, detouring Culture vultures may want to focus on the African heritage of the (p256) for massive schools of eagle rays, and on to Providenciales’ host of
to many cays that Bahamas, still found in Cat Island’s (p209) plantation and church ruins snorkeling spots, beginning in Grace Bay (p242). Divers make a beeline for
as well as in the mysticism of obeah (p212). You’re able to canoe around French Cay (p252), where hawksbill turtles roam, and the marine life–rich
surround each quiet Turtle Cove (p210) and find a hermit’s work at Mt Alvernia Hermitage Northwest Point Marine National Park (p245). At
island group. (p210). San Salvador (p215) is a tiny spot where bush medicine and old West Caicos (p251) snorkelers and divers can see
Walker's Cay

Journey by boat for plantation ruins prevail, and the diving is stunning. Remote and un- pelagics, corals and neon-colored fish.
watery adventures, spoiled, the Crooked Island District (p229) offers a remote natural setting If you’re looking for top spots in the Baha-
Biminis
by land to mark with a few splendid beaches, bat caves, birds (especially flamingos) and mas, dive the deepest blue hole at Long Island New
Providence
nesting turtles. Mayaguana (p237) is one of the least developed Bahamian (p222) and the fantastic wall-dive sites off San Eleuthera
your footprints in islands, as is West Caicos (p251), known for fantastic diving, popula- Salvador (p215), and enjoy the caverns, blue Andros
pristine earth and tions of iguanas and flamingos and isolated beaches. Finally, head for holes and coral reefs in the Exuma Cays Land & Sea San Salvador
sand, or by air to semiarid, scrub-covered Great Inagua (p235). Nature rules here, with Park (p204). Also visit the many wrecks off New
give yourself the a turtle reserve at Union Creek and the famous Bahamas National Trust Providence (p79), the Andros (p135) barrier reef, Long Island
Exuma Cays West Grand
Park (p237), where a hike takes you into the heart of one of the world’s and possible remnants of Atlantis at the Biminis Land & Caicos Turk &
time you will need largest flocks of flamingos. A tour through the reservoirs of Morton Salt (p126), where you can also swim with wild At- Sea Park Grace Bay
Gibb's
Cay
to traverse each of Works (p237), north of Matthew Town, will also put you in touch with lantic spotted dolphins. Adventurous types can
Great North West Point
Exuma Marine National Park

these places. the region’s past. socialize with sharks at Walker’s Cay (p151), and French Cay
South
with glamorous people at Eleuthera (p175). Caicos Salt Cay

BEAUTIFUL BALMY BEACHES

For lounging at the dreamiest stretches of sugar-soft sand and sparkling
Andros turquoise seas in the region, here are some beaches to tempt you. Grand
Andros Town
Bahama’s 8-acre stretch Lucaya Beach (p106) is loved by families, and is
Cat
Island perfect for water sports, or you could try the soft sands of quiet Churchill
Turtle Cove
Mt Alvernia
Beach (p106).
New Bight Hermitage San
Salvador
The Abacos cays hold the award for several of the most beautiful
beaches of this region, with Treasure Cay’s gorgeous turquoise and
South
Andros white crescent, Treasure Cay Beach ( p165 ), and pretty Elbow Cay’s
The Bluff equally tantalizing Hope Town Beach (p158). Next is Paradise Island’s
amusement-filled Cabbage Beach (p79) with its snowy-white sand, fol-
lowed by Eleuthera’s famous rosy Pink Sands Beach (p178) on Harbour
Island and the endless drifts of East Point’s
Lighthouse Beach (p191). Exuma has the stun- LucayaBeaches
& Churchill
Treasure Cay Beach

Crooked
Colonel
Hill
ning beaches of Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park Hope Town Beach
Island (p204) and the miles of talcum-powder fine
Mayaguana Stocking Island Beach (p200), site of the world’s Pink Sands Beach
best beach bar right at the water’s edge. Long Lighthouse
Cabbage
Island has the well-protected Guana Key Beach Beach
Beach

(p226), facing jade-colored seas, and secret

Exuma Cays Land &
stunner Gordon’s Beach (p231). Everyone loves Sea Park
Guana Key
West
the tiny Caicos Cays (p246), Provo’s 5-mile- Stocking Beach
Island
Caicos long, iconic Grace Bay Beach (p242) with its Beach
Gordon's Beach

extraordinary aquamarine waters and Grand Caicos

Grace Bay Cays
Bahamas National
Trust Park
Turk’s pine-shaded Governor’s Beach (p263), Beach

Matthew
Town Great Inagua
which is also a popular site for locals enjoy- Governor's
ing picnics and partying. Beach
 20

Snapshot
‘No Toilet Paper at Nassau International Airport!’ screamed the headline
in the Confidential Source. The real story here wasn’t just uncomfortable
tourists, but another example of the inefficient, government-owned air-
port system and debt-ridden airline, Bahamasair, that drives Bahamians
mad. Sit for a day in the airport when there are no announcements telling
people where their plane, crew or luggage is, and you will understand why
this is one of the many topics that get locals fired up.
Another issue is crime control. Although violent crime in the Bahamas
is still comparatively rare, numbers of domestic, sexual and gun-related
attacks are rising. One former cabinet minister’s suggested solution to
sexual attacks was chemical castration of rapists, in response to the
FAST FACTS physical castration advocated by the Bahamian Democratic Movement.
Population Bahamas/ Talk radio went bananas.
Turks & Caicos: The continuing involvement of Bahamians in the cocaine trade also
301,790/20,556 worries many. In May 2004 US authorities picked up Bahamians in pos-
GDP per capita (purchas- session of $100 million of cocaine, and in the following month a cocaine-
ing power parity): $5.495 smuggling ring of 15 Bahamians and 21 Colombians was broken.
billion/$216 million The Family Islands continue repairing villages and infrastructure
damaged by 2004’s powerful hurricanes. Meanwhile in Nassau, the hot topic
Inflation: 1.2%/4.0%
is whether judging processes for the popular Junkanoo festival’s parade
Number of islands: 700 competition could be improved, after the bitterness of 2004’s results.
(around 40 inhabited)/49 There are a number of issues that the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos
(9 inhabited) share. The depletion of the region’s conch and grouper stocks is a major
Number of cellular concern in all fishing villages. Locals wonder whether a two-month fish-
phones: 121,800/1700 ing ban on grouper by the Bahamian government is enough, and, if so,
how fishermen are to survive during this time.
Development issues also abound. When the Bahamian prime minister
signed an agreement in June 2004 for a Bimini Bay property development
on top of reclaimed wetlands, many Bahamians were appalled. Not only
could this construction swamp the tiny island, it could also obliterate im-
portant bird-breeding grounds. Other announcements in 2004 suggest that
northern Grand Bahama may become the site of the world’s largest resort.
Meanwhile in Grand Turk, angry rumors persist that an interna-
tional cruise ship, with government permission, is about to sequester the
island’s most attractive and popular beach for its passengers. Likewise,
developers can now build seven-story buildings around the rim of the
island’s most important public beach, Grace Bay Beach, where Provo
Belongers (locals) are definitely not made welcome.
Bickering also continues within Turks and Caicos political circles about
the best way to proceed toward the country’s right to self-determination
and full independence. Turks and Caicos is a British crown colony; a Brit-
ish governor takes responsibility for the country’s internal security and
external affairs, as well as certain judicial matters. Local self-government
is administered by the 13-member Legislative Council, an elected body
headed by the chief minister (appointed by the governor).
As politicians nitpick details of the outdated 1988 constitution, such as
changing the chief minister’s title to ‘premier,’ locals believe they are not
addressing the fundamental question, namely whether Turks and Caicos
people actually want independence at all. Debates in bars therefore con-
tinue to ask, ‘Do we trust our politician’s ability to run an economically
successful, honest and democratic government?’
The Author
JILL KIRBY
Having been lucky enough to travel through the Caribbean Islands by fishing
boat and ferry, Jill has also taken time over the years to dance at the ‘Sun-
splash’ Reggae Festival in Jamaica, bask on Barbados beaches over Christmas
and dive during New Year in St Vincent and the Grenadines, with a little bit
of partying along the way. Now living in Australia, Jill jumped at the chance
to return to her Caribbean and West Indian adventures. As a journalist and
freelance writer Jill also provided the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos chapters
for Lonely Planet’s Caribbean Islands.

My Favorite Trip
The following fought off some tough competition: Green Turtle Cay
Best sights? The Gothic churches of Long Island’s Clarence Hope Town
Lucayan National Park
Town (p227), pretty Hope Town (p155) on Elbow Cay and North
Bimini
Provo’s stunning Chalk Sound National Park (p245). Eleuthera

Best adventures? Swimming with affable wild pigs off the

Major Cay
coast of Major Cay (p206), houseboating the other 364 Exuma Exuma Cays
Cays (p203) and kayaking through Lucayan National Park (p118) Clarence
Town Grand
in Grand Bahama. Turk
Best diving? Handfeeding wild stingrays at Green Turtle Cay Provo &
Chalk Sound
(p167), meeting wild dolphins in North Bimini (p129), cuddling Salt Cay
divers’ pet groupers off Grand Turk (p263) and watching Salt
Cay’s (p267) humpback whales.
Best place for beach bumming? Overall, Eleuthera (p178) – you can’t beat pink-sand beaches at
sunset.
Best fun? A karaoke night in Provo (p249) and a Sunday church service anywhere, for the music
and sheer exuberance.

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Jean-Bernard Carillet prepared the Diving chapter (p45). Having been born with restless feet and equally
restless fins, Jean-Bernard’s journeys have taken him to the ultimate dive destinations in the world, which
include French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Egypt and the Caribbean. A more recent addition to this list
is his foray into the Seine River in Paris, where he dived with a team of professional firemen. As a dive
instructor and incorrigible traveler, Jean-Bernard has written extensively for various French publications,
including Plongeurs International magazine. Other Lonely Planet titles that he has coordinated and co-
authored include two Diving & Snorkeling guides: Tahiti & French Polynesia and The Red Sea.

LONELY PLANET AUTHORS

Why is our travel information the best in the world? It’s simple: our authors are independent,
dedicated travelers. They don’t research using just the Internet or phone, and they don’t take
freebies in exchange for positive coverage. They travel widely, to all the popular spots and off
the beaten track. They personally visit thousands of hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars, galleries,
palaces, museums and more – and they take pride in getting all the details right, and telling it
how it is. For more, see the authors section on www.lonelyplanet.com.
© Lonely Planet Publications
THE AUTHOR

Dr David Goldberg, MD wrote the Health chapter (p296). David completed his training in internal medi-
cine and infectious diseases at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, where he has
also served as voluntary faculty. He is an infectious diseases specialist in Scarsdale, New York, and is
the editor-in-chief of the website www.mdtravelhealth.com.

LAST EDITION
Christopher P Baker wrote the previous two editions of Bahamas, Turks & Caicos.

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21

History
THE BAHAMAS
The peaceful Lucayans knew a good spot when they found one. This
tribe of Arawak Indians paddled into the Bahamas’ glistening seas at the
turn of the 9th century. They decided to stay and became the country’s
first inhabitants.
Living primarily off the sea, they evolved skills as potters, carvers and
boat-builders, and they spun and wove cotton into clothing and ham-
mocks, which they traded with neighbors. The Lucayans, however, had
This website examines
no conception of the wheel and no written language, and they did not
the history, navigation
use beasts of burden or metals.
and landfall in the
Religion played a central role in Arawak life. They worshiped various
Bahamas of Christopher
gods who were thought to control the rain, sun, wind, and hurricanes.
Columbus; www1.minn
The little that remains of their culture is limited to pottery shards, petro-
.net/~keithp
glyphs, and English words such as ‘canoe,’ ‘cannibal,’ ‘hammock,’ ‘hur-
ricane,’ and ‘tobacco.’

COLUMBUS & THE SPANISH

Native Americans had occupied the Bahamas for at least 500 years by
the time Christopher Columbus first sighted the New World on October
12, 1492, during the first of his four voyages to find a westward route to
the East Indies.
The expedition had sailed west and after 33 days and more than
3000 miles, the shout of ‘Tierra!’ went up and an island gleamed in the
moonlight. Columbus planted the Spanish flag on an island he named
San Salvador. From here, the fleet sailed south to Santa María de la
Concepción, then west to a large island he named Fernandina. Turning
southeast, they touched at a fourth island, christened Isabela, then sailed
southwest to today’s Ragged Island Range.
Columbus and his fellow expeditionaries were underwritten by mon-
archs and merchants whose interest was economic. Gold, or at least the
Buccaneers of America
thought of it, filled the sails. The Spaniards did not linger in these barren
is John Esquemeling’s
coral islands. The Indians told Columbus that gold might be found in
eyewitness account of
Cubanacan (middle Cuba), which he translated as ‘Kublai Khan.’
the extermination of the
Until his death, Columbus was convinced that these islands were the
Lucayans. It was first
easternmost outposts of Asia. Since he had traveled west to reach them,
published in 1684.
he named them the West Indies.
There has been much speculation over the decades as to which island
Columbus actually landed on first. One of the explorer’s biographers
believed it to be San Salvador. A National Geographic Society study has
convincingly proposed Samana Cay as the first landfall.
As the search for gold dominated all adventurers’ priorities it was no
surprise that the Spanish returned in 1495, and started shipping out
enslaved Lucayan Indians from the Bahamas to work their gold seams
in Hispaniola.

TIMELINE’ 900s 1492

The Arawaks arrive in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Christopher Columbus sets sight and foot onto the New
from South America World
 22 T H E B A HA MA S • • Pi r a t e s E x p e l l e d – C o m m e r c e R e s t o re d www.lonelyplanet.com
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
‘Cay’ (pronounced ‘key’) is an English term meaning ‘small island.’ The word, however, comes
from ‘cairi,’ the Lucayan word for ‘island.’ Hence the names given to individual islands depended
upon who was doing the naming, not their size. While Harbour Island is a mere 1 sq mile for
example, Rum Cay has an area of 30 sq miles.
The Indians were worked to death. Those who resisted perished by the
sword, the rest by European diseases or mass suicide. Within 25 years
Siboney Indians were
the entire Lucayan population of 50,000 was gone. The Spaniards then
the earliest settlers of
casually sailed away, leaving the island chain devoid of human life.
the Grand Bahama
eventually superseded
by the Lucayans; www
PIRATES EXPELLED – COMMERCE RESTORED
Tales of Spanish treasure lured pirates and other adventurers to the
.interknowledge
islands, such as Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, who operated with the
.com/grandbahama
sanction of Queen Elizabeth I. San Salvador became the base for Raleigh’s
/gbhistory01.htm
colony at Roanoke Island, England’s first settlement in America. Charles
Town was then founded by the British in 1666 (renamed Nassau in 1695
in honor of William III, formerly Prince of Orange-Nassau).
During the 17th century, England was constantly at war with France or
Spain. Since the Royal Navy couldn’t effectively patrol the Caribbean, the
crown sponsored privateers to capture enemy vessels and plunder foreign
cities. A combination of absentee landlords and the growing number of
ruffian residents meant that the city descended into the hands of pirates
For details on the ships
such as Henry Jennings and ‘Blackbeard’ (Edward Teach), who terror-
and crews that have
ized his victims by wearing flaming fuses in his matted beard and hair.
sailed the Caribbean over
Blackbeard took over New Providence, establishing a lawless city that in
the ages, try www.angel
1666 was lined with brothels and taverns.
fire.com/realm3/carib
beantales/ships.html
Spain, of course, was outraged, especially since it still claimed title over
the Bahamas and on at least four occasions attacked and razed Charles
Town. In 1718 Governor Woodes Rogers (himself a former privateer) was
appointed by the British king to finally suppress piracy. Rogers arrived
with three warships and issued the king’s ultimatum to pirates: ‘death or
pardon’. He described his own tenure: Expulsis Piratis – Restituta Com-
mercia (Pirates Expelled – Commerce Restored), words that still adorn
the official seal of the Bahamas.
Yet in 1850 as much as half of the islands’ population were still making
The Department of
a livelihood from wrecking – as did the government, which took 15%
Archives in the Bahamas
customs duty on the proceeds of sales from salvaged goods.
is the primary repository
of the history of the
THOSE DAMNED YANKEES
Bahamas and holds
records dating back to
The Bahamas lay close to the North American colonies, and the outbreak
of the American Revolution in 1775 put the Bahamas in the firing line. Not
the 17th century; www
for the last time, the American Navy fell upon Nassau, intent on captur-
.bahamasnationalarchives
ing arms and explosives (the first-ever foreign invasion by US forces). The
.bs/index.html
Yankees occupied Nassau, carousing for two weeks before sailing away.
In 1782 a joint Spanish–French–US force again took advantage of Eng-
land’s weakened position to capture the city. Spain declared possession of
the Bahamas and then made life intolerable for the city’s inhabitants.
1678 1700s
Bermudian salt traders clear land in the Turks and Caicos and Pirates establish bases on Grand Bahama
create salinas (salt-drying pans)
www.lonelyplanet.com T H E B A HA MA S • • A R u m D e a l 23
Andrew Deveaux, a Loyalist, recaptured the Bahamas for England a
year later with 200 pro-British mercenaries. The Spaniards watched from
afar as longboats ferried soldiers ashore. As the landing point was hidden
from view, the soldiers stood up for the journey to shore and then the
The Story of The Bahamas
same men lay out of sight for the journey back to the ship, repeatedly.
by Paul Albury and A
Thus the Spaniards gained the impression that thousands of troops were
History of the Bahamas
landing. The Spaniards packed their belongings and set sail for Cuba. The
by Michael Craton (San
Treaty of Versailles formally ceded the Bahamas to England from Spain.
Salvador Press) both give
Following the American Revolution, more than 8000 Loyalists and
a good general overview
their slaves resettled in the Bahamian islands between 1783 and 1785,
of Bahamian history.
tripling the existing population. They introduced two things that would
profoundly shape the islands’ future: cotton and slaves, but the land was
ill-suited to cotton. Then in 1807 the British banned slave trading, and
brought their liberated ‘cargoes’ to the Bahamas. The abolition of slavery
in 1834 and transition to a free society went smoothly, but a white elite mi-
nority of merchants and administrators now ruled over an ill-represented
black majority, a state of affairs that would last for more than a century.
The US Civil War (1861–65) gave the Bahamas another economic
boost and the Bahamas became the major trading center for the block-
aded South. Ships such as the Ballymena became infamous blockade-
runners, running supplies to the South and returning with holds full of
These books by Gail
cotton. Author Margaret Mitchell, in Gone with the Wind, presents Rhett
Saunders trace the
Butler as a well-known figure in Nassau, where he loaded his schooner
trauma of the slave era;
with luxuries for the Confederacy.
Bahamian Loyalists and
But the end of hostilities burst Nassau’s bubble again, and the ensuing
Their Slaves and Slavery
decades witnessed an exodus of migrant labor to the US.
in the Bahamas.
By the turn of the century, Florida was a tourist hot spot and the Ba-
hamas were catching the spin-off.
A RUM DEAL
The islands were again granted divine deliverance in the 1920s with
Prohibition, which forbade the sale of alcohol in the US. The Nassau
waterfront soon resembled a vast rum warehouse. Millions of gallons
of alcohol were whisked across the water to Florida or New Jersey’s
Rum Row. Construction boomed and the islands’ first casino opened,
attracting gamblers and gangsters alongside a potpourri of the rich and
famous. However the repeal of Prohibition again burst Nassau’s bubble,
the Depression followed, and the Bahamas hit skid row.
The most famous
During WWII the islands served as a base for Allied air and sea power.
example for a foreigner’s
Exhausted GIs came to the islands to recuperate and were joined by
view of the Bahamas
wealthy Canadians and Americans wanting some winter sun.
is Out Island Doctor
INDEPENDENCE ‘SOON COME’ by Evans Cottman, a
Yankee teacher who fell
The decision to promote tourism coincided with the arrival of the jet age
for Crooked and Acklin
and the Cuban Revolution in 1959. During the 1950s, Havana was the
Islands in the 1940s.
mecca for American tourists. When Fidel Castro spun Cuba into Soviet
orbit in 1961, the subsequent US embargo forced revelers to seek their
pleasures elsewhere, and Nassau became the new hot spot.
The Bahamas was redefined as a corporate tax haven, aided by statutes
modeled on Switzerland’s secrecy laws. Tourism and finance bloomed.
1718 1760
The Bahamian nation’s motto; Pirates Expelled–Commerce Governor William Shirley, former governor of Massachusetts, drains
Restored is coined swamps, surveys the land and lays Nassau’s streets
 24 T H E B A HA MA S • • T h e C o m m o n w e a l t h & C o l o m b i a n s www.lonelyplanet.com
A RIGHT ROYAL RENEGADE
In 1940 the Duke and Duchess of Windsor arrived as governor and governess. Formerly King
Edward VIII of England, the duke abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry an American divorcee;
Wallis Simpson, ‘the woman I love.’ The couple ensured that the rich and famous poured into
Nassau in postwar years, and set the trend for the ruling Brits and their romances to hit the
headlines…
Edward, who had suffered great humiliation in Britain, proved as controversial in the Bahamas
as he had at home. Some claim that he made strides to right the colony’s backward and racist
politics. Others believe he endorsed the corrupt ways of the ‘Bay Street Boys,’ an oligarchy of
white lawyers and merchants that dominated the islands’ assembly for many years.
It is argued that the duke was sent to the Bahamas as a punishment. Other evidence suggests
that on the eve of WWII, the Nazis were planning to kidnap the duke – who had settled in the
south of France – and restore him to the throne as a puppet after Hitler’s forces had conquered
Great Britain. Edward had shown sympathies toward Nazism. Winston Churchill, the prime minister,
urged King George VI to send his brother to the Bahamas to place him out of harm’s way.
Nonetheless, the duke was beloved by many, Blacks and Whites alike, and became the topic
of several endearing songs and poems.
The upturn in fortunes coincided with (and perhaps helped spark) the
evolution of party politics and festering ethnic tensions, as the white elite
For a look at the Duke
and a growing black middle class reaped profits from the boom.
of Windsor’s highly
controversial time in
Only a small number of black representatives (mostly wealthy black
businessmen) sat in the assembly, which remained dominated by the Bay
the Bahamas, see The
Street Boys, descendants of the white Loyalists and British appointees.
King Over the Water by
Middle-class Blacks’ aspirations for representation coalesced with the
Michael Pye and The
pent-up frustrations of their brethren who remained impoverished.
Duke of Windsor’s War
In 1953 a local firebrand named Lynden Pindling formed the Progres-
by Michael Bloch.
sive Liberal Party (PLP) to seek justice for the nation’s majority at the
ballot box. In 1963 the tensions bubbled up into a violent national strike
supported by the PLP. A new constitution, proposed by Britain, was
drawn up with the aim of creating a more representative legislature and
providing for internal self-government. The UBP, led by white Bahamian
Roland Symonette, gained power in national elections by a slender ma-
jority, and Symonette became premier. The close race allowed for white
dominance to be somewhat diluted, but black aspirations had barely
been appeased, particularly since voting was restricted to male property
20,000 Leagues under
owners, a provision overwhelmingly favoring whites.
the Sea by Universal/
Pindling and his party followers refused to recognize the parliamentary
Williamson in 1916
speaker’s authority. In 1967 the PLP finally boycotted Parliament al-
was the first underwater
together, but not before winning an elimination of the property-ownership
motion picture ever
qualification. A new election was held, and Pindling’s PLP came to
made, and it was shot
power, a position it would maintain for the next 25 years.
in the Bahamas.
On July 10, 1973, the Bahamian islands officially became a new nation,
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, ending 325 years of British rule.
THE COMMONWEALTH & COLOMBIANS
Pindling initially continued the progressive economic policies first
adopted by his predecessors, based on tourism and finance. However,
1775 1843
The American Revolution starts an exodus of Loyalists and their The British abolish slavery and freed slaves establish villages
slaves to the region
www.lonelyplanet.com T H E B A HA MA S • • B a h a m a s T o d a y 25
foreign-owned development interests enjoyed preferential treatments
and when his government tried to redress these problems the economy
stalled.
Kickbacks to government members had become a staple of political life
by the early 1980s and the Bahamas’ hundreds of islands, marinas, and
airstrips had become the frontline staging post for narcotics en route to
the US. Bahamians from all walks of life made hay on the trade, and the
government seemed disinclined to crack down on it.
In 1984 it was suggested by an American television program that Co-
Captain Leonard M
lombian drug barons had corrupted the government at its highest levels,
Thompson’s autobio-
and the country’s drug-heavy reputation tarnished its image abroad.
graphical I Wanted Wings
Pindling and his ministers were accused of involvement in drug traffick-
is a splendid introduction
ing. A Bahamian royal commission found against several ministers but
to Loyalist Bahamian
Pindling was cleared. However the report noted that his expenditure was
history and ways.
eight times his declared income.
The country’s drug-heavy reputation tarnished its repuation abroad.
Tourism and financial investment declined, so the government belat-
edly launched a crackdown led by the US Drug Enforcement Agency
(US DEA).
The electorate had become frustrated and voted in a conservative and
business-orientated government, the FNM, in 1992. Lynden Pindling
died in August 2000.
BAHAMAS TODAY
Announcements in 2004 that the American government may reduce
funding of the successful joint anti-drug-trafficking campaign (OPBAT)
‘Operation Bahamas Turks & Caicos’ caused some concerns that drug
trafficking could once again get out of hand. The Tribune, for example,
revisited the days when Colombian drug traffickers rained money down
on celebrating Bahamians from planes as thanks for their cooperation and
even a clergyman argued that ‘principles don’t put bread on the table.’
Drug trafficking through the Bahamas to the US and Europe is still
very much alive, although concerted Bahamian and US DEA efforts have
curtailed much activity. In 2003 and 2004 the Bahamian police announced
a number of arrests on Grand Bahama in connection with millions of dol-
lars’ worth of smuggled cocaine. The US Attorney-General in 2004 also
announced arrests of Bahamians in Eleuthera, the Biminis and New Provi-
dence during the cracking of a Colombian-led drug-trafficking network.
WAS THE BIRTH OF TOURISM THE DEATH OF HIM…?
It was clear in the slump that followed the end of WWII that the Bahamas’ future lay in the
still-embryonic tourism industry. Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Harry Oakes, who
owned one-third of New Providence and built the Cable Beach Golf Course, the Bahamas Country
Club, and much of the tourist infrastructure, had lain the foundation.
Oakes’ brutal murder in his bed on July 7, 1943, and the subsequent trial of his son-in-law,
Duke Alfred de Marigny, reverberated around the world as ‘The Crime of the Century.’ The son-
in-law was acquitted, the Bahamas was put on the international map once again and the case
remains unsolved.
1920 1958
Prohibition opens the door to the Bahamas first American tourists Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park becomes the first marine fishery
reserve in the world
 26 T H E B A HA MA S • • B a h a m a s T o d a y www.lonelyplanet.com
In August 1999 Hurricane Dennis raked the Abacos and Grand Ba-
hama. A month later, Hurricane Floyd – a 600-mile-wide whopper –
pounded Cat, San Salvador, Abaco and Eleuthera with winds up to 155
mph. In 2004 two more hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, hit these same
islands along with Grand Bahama in quick succession. Massive flooding
and the destruction of many buildings again hit the villages and tourism
industry of these already-struggling islands.
Despite these blows, Prime Minister Perry Christie and the ruling
The Bimini Museum has
Progressive Liberal Party can celebrate that the Bahamas per-capita dis-
a website that covers
posable income is around $16,700, one of the highest in the region. The
local history and events;
economy has also flourished, thanks to its stable political climate, liberal
www.bimini-museum.org
laws designed to attract investment, and, undoubtedly, its proximity to
North America.
One of the country’s assets is its large, skilled, well-educated workforce,
10% of which is employed in banking and insurance industries.
Another one third is employed by the government. The wealth is con-
centrated in Nassau however, so there are plenty of pockets of poverty,
especially in the Family Islands, where unemployment is high and much
of the local economy operates on a barter basis. Thousands of Bahamians
earn their income as itinerant vendors.
Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or in-
directly employs half of the archipelago’s labor force. Despite a slowdown
in the tourism sector in 2001 following 11 September, tourist arrivals in
2003 were 4.6 million, the highest number in the Caribbean. Americans
now make-up of over 80% of the Bahamian visitors, no wonder the piz-
zas are so good!
A TAX SHELTER IN THE SUN
The Bahamas is one of the world’s premier tax-free havens and financial services are the second-
most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. Incentives
offered to investors attract millions of dollars every year.
The Bahamas levies no taxes on personal or corporate income, capital gains, dividends, interest,
royalties, sales, estates, inheritances, or payrolls. The repatriation of foreign investment funds,
foreign assets and dividends, and profits arising from investments is permitted tax-free.
The system primarily serves as a tax-planning haven and place of asset security; financial records
cannot be subpoenaed or released. Although the FNM government made sweeping changes in
banking laws to help the US DEA and the US Internal Revenue Service combat money laundering
(Bahamian-held assets are no longer secure from US federal agencies), in 2000 the 26-country
International Financial Action Task Force named the Bahamas among a ‘black list’ of 15 nations
failing to cooperate in the fight against money laundering.
Still one of the world’s principal international financial and insurance centers, Nassau claimed
in 2003 that 284 institutions from the Bahamas, US, Canada, UK, South America, Central America,
Asia and Europe were licensed to do business within or from the Bahamas. Financial services
annually contributed about 15% of the GDP, paying $196.5 million in 2003 for salaries and wages
to employees who are nearly 94% Bahamian.
However a number of international banks and other financial institutions have withdrawn from
the country, whether this is down to changes in the laws protecting client confidentiality from DEA
investigations or not, is of much speculation within the country’s electronic and print media.
1960s 1962
Grand Turk’s ‘white gold’ salt export industry collapses John Glenn splashes down from space, just off Grand Turk
www.lonelyplanet.com T U R K S & C A I C O S • • F r o m W W I I t o S a t e l l i t e T V 27
TURKS & CAICOS
Recent discoveries of Indian artifacts on Grand Turk have shown that the
islands evolved much the same indigenous culture as did their northern
Did you know that in
neighbors. A ball court similar to those of the far more advanced Maya
the 2004 Olympics
culture in Central America has been found on Middle Caicos. Locals even
Bahamian sprinter
claim that the islands were Christopher Columbus’ first landfall in 1492
Tonique Williams-Darling
(much-disputed by historians).
won the gold medal in
The island group was also a pawn in the power struggles between the
the women’s 400m final
French, Spaniards, and British and remained virtually uninhabited until
and Debbie Ferguson won
1678, when a group of Bermudians settled and began to extract salt and
bronze for the women’s
timber. Salt traders cleared the land and created the salinas (salt-drying
200m final in Athens.
pans) that still exist on several islands. Most of the salt went aboard swift
sloops to supply the cod-fishing industries of New England and Canada’s
Maritime Provinces. Salt remained the backbone of the British crown
colony until the 1950s, when the industry collapsed.
As with the Bahamas, the islands became a base for notorious pirates,
who were not averse to sacking the wealthy salt merchants’ homes. Some
people claim that piracy accounts for the islands’ name: ‘Turks’ for the
name of a group of Mediterranean pirates and ‘Caicos’ for the name of
the boats. (‘Baloney!’ say others: ‘Turks’ refers to the species of native
cactus whose scarlet blossom resembles a Turkish fez; ‘cayos’ is for the
Spanish word for ‘tiny isles.’)
Following the American Revolution, waves of colonial Loyalists ar-
Did you know that some
rived with their slaves to build plantations. By 1820 the cotton crop had
rock carvings in Sapodilla
failed and the planters sailed off leaving many slaves behind who then
Bay, Caicos date back
also became salt rakers. A whaling industry (now defunct) was estab-
lished in the mid-19th century. to 1844 and record the
names of ship-wrecked
FROM WWII TO SATELLITE TV sailors who found them-
selves on this island?
Although the US military built airstrips here during WWII, the islands
were still British, classified as part of the UK’s Jamaican colony until
1962, when they were then annexed to the Bahamas. The Governor of the
Bahamas oversaw the island’s affairs from 1965 to 1973, when the Turks
and Caicos became a separate crown colony of Great Britain.
Meanwhile, the doors to tourism really began to open; Count Ferdinand
Czernin, son of the last prime minister of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
ferreted out a tiny dot on the map – Pine Cay, northeast of Provo –
on which he planned an exotic resort. After his death, this became the
exclusive Meridian Club, a prize-winning resort still frequented by the
sophisticated elite. Then in 1984 Club Med opened its doors on Provo,
and the Turks and Caicos started to boom. In the blink of an eye, the
islands, which had had no electricity, acquired satellite TV.
Turks Islands Landfall by
LIVING TODAY HE Sadler is an illus-
trated, large-format text
Today the finance, tourism and fishing industries generate most private-
regaling the history of
sector income. The Turks and Caicos are a tax-free offshore finance
the Turks and Caicos.
center, offering services such as company formation, offshore insurance,
banking, trusts, and limited partnerships. Still, the industry is a mere
1973 1984
The Bahamas achieves independence and becomes the Common- Club Med opens in Providenciales and tourism starts to boom in
wealth of the Bahamas the Turks and Caicos
 28 T U R K S & C A I C O S • • L i v i n g T o d a y www.lonelyplanet.com

minnow compared to that of the Bahamas, and you will no doubt be

astonished to discover that Grand Turk, the much-hyped financial center,
is just a dusty backwater in the sun.
Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported
Living in the Turks &
from Haiti and the US, along with some human traffic. Whereas many of
Caicos Islands: from Conch
the Haitians are en route to the US as illegal immigrants, more than half
to the Florida Lottery by
of the 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s were American tourists. However,
Charles Palmer depicts
tourism fell by 6% in 2002, and in 2005 the per capita GDP was estimated
island living and the
at a low $9,600.
changes from the early
Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore fi-
’50s to current days.
nancial activities and customs receipts. Still, income from tourism and
offshore investment is not yet sufficient for the islands to survive without
British aid. Practically all consumer goods and foodstuffs are imported.
Agriculture is limited to small family gardens and teeny farms. The
islands’ most important exports are conch and lobster (about 750,000lb
annually). Commemorative coins and souvenir-issue stamps bring in
considerable revenue.
With the Turks and Caicos covered by the US-funded anti-drug traf-
ficking operation (OPBAT), some individuals within the country are be-
lieved to continue to derive revenue from the international drugs trade.
Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was
reversed and the islands remain a British crown colony, while the exist-
ing constitution dates from 1988. A governor from the UK acts as the
Queen’s representative, with responsibility for internal security, external
affairs, and certain judicial matters, also presiding over the Executive
Council of Ministers.
Local self-government is administered by the 13-member Legislative
Council, an elected body headed by the chief minister (appointed by the
governor) and empowered to enact local statutes and run the show on a
daily basis, with a good deal of power to determine the islands’ future.
Relations between the islanders and British-appointed governors have
been strained since 1996 when incumbent Governor Martin Bourke’s
comments suggesting that government and police corruption had turned
the islands into a haven for drug trafficking appeared in the Offshore
Finance Annual, and opponents accused him of harming investment.
Growing opposition threatened to spill over into civil unrest and the
Brits sent over a warship and trained policeman. In the end there was
no revolt, but the issue created resurgence in calls for independence that
still continue today. Mr Richard Tauwhare was named as Governor of
the Turks and Caicos, effective July 2005.

1996 2004
A British warship arrives in the Turks and Caicos, after the British Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne lash the islands and the Bahamas
Governor claims the islands were a haven for drug smugglers win their first individual track Olympic gold medal
 29

The Culture
THE NATIONAL PSYCHE
The Bahamas
Contemporary Bahamian culture revolves around the family, the church
and the sea. However the proximity of North America and cable TV
Bahamians and Turks
has had a profound influence on contemporary life and material values,
and Caicos islanders drive
although many British traditions, courtesies and attitudes remain.
on the left and enjoy the
As with any society there are some lovely ironies. For example, al-
odd roundabout or two.
though investors are encouraged to build casino complexes on Bahamian
As they say: the left side
soil, gambling is outlawed for Bahamian nationals! Even better, these
is the right side, the right
casinos are then staffed by trained Bahamian croupiers.
side is suicide!
A very low crime rate and an extremely welcoming people illustrates the
strength of a cohesive community led by overt Christian beliefs. However
in 2004 a cruise ship carrying gay passengers and their families planned to
dock in Nassau. This resulted in outrage expressed both in the media and
on the streets, with protesters calling for bans to stop the ship docking. An-
other example of this very un-Christian intolerance is the discrimination
against Haitian immigrants. Spirit beliefs, held over from slave days, are a
mix of African and Christian religions. These are still important to many
Bahamians and are presented in many daily rituals (see p32).
In Nassau and Freeport, most working people are employed in banking,
tourism or government work and live a nine-to-five lifestyle. The matur-
Speed 2 Cruise Control
ation of the banking and finance industries has fostered the growth of a
with a bomb on board,
large professional class, many of whom have become extremely wealthy.
and The Loveboat
The folks of the Out Islands – the Family Islanders – are altogether
Reunion, by Aaron
more at ease as well as more traditional. The practice of obeah, bush
Spelling, with several
medicine, and folkloric songs and tales still infuse their daily lives.
blonde bombshells on
Tourism has barely touched many islands and poverty sits hand-in-hand
board, were both shot in
with undeveloped local economies. Despite many expat billionaires hidden
the Bahamas, and should
away on these cays, many people live a hand-to-mouth existence alleviated
stand as a warning that
by the government’s social security system, fishing, catching conch and
you can never rely on the
lobster, and raising corn, bananas and other crops for the kitchen.
brochures when booking
your next cruise…
Turks & Caicos
The islands have their own identity, but are as devoutly religious as their
northern neighbors. This doesn’t stop some from having a tipple on
Sunday, when the pubs (strictly speaking) aren’t serving.
Turks and Caicos islanders (‘Belongers’) are descendants from the early
Bermudian settlers, Loyalist settlers, slave settlers and salt rakers. Many
resident expats, notably Brits, are employed in the hospitality and finance
industries, having escaped the cities and miserable weather of Europe.
Others are ‘retirement-aged swashbucklers’ or those avoiding open con-
versations about their origins!
More recently, hundreds of Haitians have fled their impoverished
Water and Light by
island and landed in the Turks and Caicos, many on their way to Miami.
Stephen Harrigan is
Some residents and Belongers, as with the Bahamians, resent the Haitians’
a splendid memoir by
intrusion into the islands’ scarce economic resources.
a Texan who ‘followed
POPULATION his bliss’ and spent
several months diving
Around 80% of the Bahamian population is urban, with nearly two-thirds
off Grand Turk.
of residents living in Nassau (212,432) and around 47,000 in Grand
Bahama. The remainder of the population is scattered among about a
 30 T H E C U LT U R E • • P o p u l a t i o n www.lonelyplanet.com
dozen Family Islands; predominantly the Abacos, Andros, Eleuthera and
a few dozen offshore cays. The islands tend to be less populated as you
move south, and the southern islands are suffering significant declines
in population.
The Bahamas prides itself on its harmonious race relations. Indeed,
the islands are refreshingly free of racial tensions, and class divisions are
markedly less related to color than on many neighboring islands. Everyone
can socialize together. The most virulent prejudice, among both black and
Did you know that
white Bahamians, is against Haitians, a recent immigrant underclass.
actor Sidney Poitier is
Most Haitians are illegal immigrants seeking a better life whom the
the current Bahamian
Bahamian government has tried to repatriate without success. Haitians
Ambassador to Japan?
perform menial tasks, farm labor and domestic work and are frequently
exploited at below-minimum wages. A Human Rights Watch report also
revealed that 90% of prisoners in the Bahamas are Haitians.
Other immigrants come from the Dominican Republic and Jamaica,
or are of Asian or Hispanic descent. There are no descendants of the
indigenous Lucayans. But around Red Bay (Andros), you may note the
distinct features of Seminole Indians, whose forefathers fled Florida and
settled here two centuries ago.
Bahamian Lineage
About 85% of the population is Black, with ancestry traced to slaves
brought from the Carolinas. They in turn were drawn predominantly from
West African tribes such as the House, Ibo, Mandingo and Yoruba.
Did you know that the
The Bahamas’ black population has grown out of several events. When
Bahamas levies no taxes
Loyalists arrived in the islands, they brought with them their most trusted
on personal or corporate
and able slaves. In other cases, slave traders called into Nassau en route
income, capital gains,
to other destinations and sold Africans to local slaveholders.
dividends, interest,
Scores of free Blacks also fled the United States for the islands, where
royalties, sales, inherit-
many became large landholders (often slave-owners themselves) and prom-
ances or payrolls?
inent citizens. Additionally, thousands of runaways and Blacks liberated
from slave ships by the British also landed in the islands as free people.
Whites constitute 12% of the population; most are of British and to a
lesser degree American, Irish and Greek descent. Outside Nassau, most
Whites are centered in a few settlements where they are a conspicuous
majority: Marsh Harbour, Cherokee Sound, Treasure Cay, Green Turtle
BUSH MEDICINE Christopher P Baker
Traditional folk healing is still alive, especially in the Family Islands, where locals have a suspicion
of doctors and cling to folk remedies. Bush-medicine healers, often respected obeah practitioners,
rely on native herbs, which they mix into concoctions, or potents, using recipes that have been
handed down through many generations.
The sovereign ingredient is cerasee (Momordica charantia), an orange-fruited vine credited with
resolving every imaginable human ailment. Aloe is also used for curing many ills, from sunburn
to insect bites, while breadfruit leaves are said to cure high blood pressure.
However, not all cures use berries and leaves. For example, ‘goat nanny’ (goat droppings) is
said to cure whooping cough, while congested air passages are cured by pouring ‘chamber lye’
on the head. This golden liquid is named for the pot into which a person relieves himself at
night when not blessed with an indoor toilet.
There are a couple of grand ‘Bush Medicine’ walks to be taken in the Grand Bahamas (see
p103) and in George Town in the Exumas (see p197) which will give you a few more tips. As
will Bush Medicine in the Bahamas by Leslie Higgs which provides recipes for curing everything
from warts to a broken heart.
www.lonelyplanet.com T H E C U LT U R E • • R e l i g i o n 31
Cay, Great Guana Cay, Elbow Cay and Man O’ War Cay (Abacos); and
Spanish Wells and Harbour Island (Eleuthera).
Most Whites in these settlements can claim descent from the earliest
English settlers, Loyalists who fled the American Revolution. Others
If you want to check out
claim descent from Southerners escaping the US Civil War. A few like
any lineage that you may
to claim ancestry from the English ruling elite. A far greater number are
share with the peoples
descended from pirates and vagabonds.
of the Bahamas and
Nassau’s white community remains somewhat clannish and dominates
Turks and Caicos, check
the upper echelons of economic life. Every Loyalist descendant and other
out this website and its
Caucasian born in the islands is known as a ‘Conchy Joe,’ identifiable by
comprehensive links at
their distinctive features: usually blue or green eyes, freckled skin and
www.genforum.geneal
blondish hair.
ogy.com/bahamas
Then there are the thousands of part-time and full-time residents –
predominantly wealthy North Americans, who have escaped from the
prying eyes of the world.
RELIGION
Christianity is a powerful and conservative force in the Bahamas and
Turks and Caicos Islands, with the overwhelming majority of islanders
devout believers who profess to live by the word of God. Virtually every
taxi driver has a Bible at hand, as do many office workers. State functions
and the school day begin with prayers. Church affairs make headline news,
while major international events are relegated to the inside pages. Every
political speech is peppered with biblical quotations and is considerate of
the Church’s position on social issues.
When the British
The Bahamian nation claims the greatest number of churches per capita
abolished slavery in 1834,
in the world. The vast majority of the populace are mainstreamers; Baptists
many of the emancipated
(35%), Anglican/Episcopalian (15%) and Catholic (14%). The official state
former slaves were
religion is the Anglican Church, although some Christian priests hedge
bequeathed land by
their bets and mix a little good-willed obeah into their practice (see p212).
their former owners.
Every island is a veritable jumble of chapels and churches, usually Bap-
tist revival centers, referred to as ‘jumper churches’ by locals – with every
conceivable body in the world represented (as with the Feed My Sheep
Church of God). Often you’ll see as many as a dozen churches in settle-
ments with barely 200 people. Most of these churches are maintained with
much love and money the congregation can ill-afford. Fundamentalists
have made serious inroads in recent years often through cable TV, while
some Family Islands have been won over by a single church (Seventh-
Day Adventists, for example, predominate on Crooked Island).
Sundays really are blessed days, when businesses outside main tourist
centers are closed. Less so with the Turks and Caicos islanders, but Ba-
hamians normally dress-up to show respect even if they are working (as
with Nassau’s taxi drivers) and the churches are a vision of glamour. Hats
and heels are de rigeur for women, along with suits and ties for the men.
Little girls are resplendent in white dresses and their brothers immaculate
For a hilarious look at
in shirt and trousers, both impatiently waiting their freedom.
what it means to be a
Gospel choirs across the region take their work seriously, with uplift-
Conchy Joe, see Patricia
ing and joyous sounds wafting out of halls and churches throughout the
Glinton-Meicholas’
week, in preparation for Sunday’s list of lengthy services.
How to Be a True-True
Bahamian.
Funerals
Some of the most important events on a Bahamian family calendar are
funerals. The national newspapers dedicate a huge percentage of space to
announcing deaths and funerals (weddings get little play) while radio pro-
grams are frequently interrupted by death and funeral announcements.
 32 T H E C U LT U R E • • A r t s www.lonelyplanet.com
SPIRIT BELIEFS Christopher P Baker
Despite the force of Christianity in society, many Bahamians and Turks and Caicos islanders still
keep spirit beliefs held over from slave days, when African religions melded with Christianity.
Rooted in the animist beliefs of West Africa (animism has nothing to do with animal spirits; the
name is derived from the Latin word anima, meaning ‘soul’), they are based on the tenet that
the spiritual and temporal worlds are a unified whole.
A core belief is that spirits live independently of the human or animal body and can inhabit
inanimate objects. They can communicate directly with humans and are usually morally neutral;
it is the service to which humans call them that determines whether they will be a force of
good or evil. Cantankerous, onerous people beget evil ‘sperrids’; kind and thoughtful people
beget good spirits. Spirits particularly like to live in silk cotton trees, of which many Bahamians
are extremely wary.
Spirits reveal themselves on a whim; not being able to see them doesn’t mean they aren’t
there. Many Bahamians believe that if you take the ‘bibby’ (mucus) from a dog’s or horse’s eye
and put it in your own, you can actually see a spirit.
All kinds of practices have evolved to guard against evil spirits. Even physicians are known
to tie a black cord around a newborn baby’s wrists to guard against evil spirits. A Bible is
often placed at the head of a sleeping child for the same reason. And if this fails, a Bahamian
may attempt to dispel a malicious spirit by marking Xs all around and repeating the all-powerful
phrase, ‘Ten, ten, the Bible ten.’
To discover more about these customs, see the boxed text ‘Obeah’ – the practice of African
witchcraft (p212), and pick up Ten, Ten, the Bible Ten: Obeah in the Bahamas by Timothy Mc-
Cartney.
Bahamian funerals are big events. On the Family Islands and cays, busi-
nesses close, residents dress in mourning for the passing of the funereal
cortege and children play a doleful dirge at the head of the procession.
ARTS
Relative to its neighbors, the Bahamas’ intellectual tradition is com-
The Cocaine Wars by
paratively weak and, for a capital city, Nassau has been surprisingly un-
Paul Eddy, Hugo Sabogal
sophisticated in the visual and performance arts. That has certainly been
and Sara Walden covers
changing however, especially in music and art, and with the opening of
drug trafficking in the
the National Gallery in Nassau, displays of really impressive works are
Bahamas and is an
gaining their rightful place in Bahamian society.
interesting read.
Literature
While the Bahamas has produced no writer of world renown, the nation
does have its literati. Few, however, are known even within the Carib-
bean region.
Bahamian Anthology (published by the College of The Bahamas) is a
selection of poetry, stories and plays by Bahamian writers. In a similar
poetic vein, try Bahamas: In a White Coming On by Dennis Ryan.
Author Ian Fleming,
However, the Bahamas has been the setting for work of more notable,
famous for his James
non-Bahamian writers. Ernest Hemingway’s Islands in the Stream is a
Bond novels, was so
fictitious but accurate look at the Biminis’ history and his own brutish
taken with the Bahamas
ways during WWII.
that he set several
Robert Wilder’s Wind from the Carolinas is a historical novel that tells
of his books here.
of the settlement of the Bahamas in the form of a generational saga. And
Barbara Whitnell’s The Salt Rakers follows suit.
A more contemporary romp is Herman Wouk’s Don’t Stop the Carni-
val, the tale of a publicist who gives it all up to open a hotel on a ficti-
tious Caribbean isle.
www.lonelyplanet.com T H E C U LT U R E • • A r t s 33
FOLK TALES & CHILDREN’S STORIES
Several books trace the evolution and meaning of Bahamian folktales,
including Bahamian Lore: Folk Tales and Songs by Robert Curry. Patricia
Glinton-Meicholas is another name to look out for, this prolific writer
Oscar-winning Sidney
has a real panache in bringing oral histories and folk tales to life.
Poitier tells of his
An Evenin’ in Guanima: A Treasury of Folktales from The Bahamas by
upbringing on Cat Island
Patricia Glinton-Meicholas is a great introduction to the Bahamas.
in his autobiographies,
Telcine Turner’s Once Below a Time: Bahamian Stories is an illustrated
This Life and The Measure
collection of short stories for children. Likewise, youngsters might enjoy
of a Man.
Climbing Clouds: Stories & Poems from The Bahamas, also edited by
Turner, and Who Let the Dog Out? (Dottie’s Story) by Carole Hughes, a
story about a Dalmatian born into Green Turtle Cay who heads off to
explore the world.
Music
From hotel beach parties to the raw-sound-system dance clubs of Over-
the-Hill, Nassau’s poorer quarter, the Bahamas reverberates to the soul-
riveting sounds of calypso, soca, reggae and its own distinctive music,
which echoes African rhythms and synthesizes Caribbean calypso, soca
and English folk songs into its goombay beat.
GOOMBAY
This type of music – the name comes from an African word for ‘rhythm’ –
derives its melody from a guitar, piano or horn instrument accompanied
by any combination of goatskin goombay drums, maracas, rhythm (or
The Bahamas Concert
click) sticks, rattles, conch-shell horns, fifes and flutes, and cowbells
Orchestra website is
to add a uniquely Bahamian kalik-kalik-kalik sound. It’s typified by a
www.geocities.com
fast-paced, sustained, infectious melody. Goombay is to the Bahamas
/bahamasconcert
what reggae is to Jamaica and is most on display during Christmas and
orchestra/index.html.
midsummer Junkanoo celebrations.
Goombay draws on a heritage of folk music introduced by African
slaves from North America, Jamaica and other neighboring islands. Par-
ticularly important are the ‘talking drums,’ once used to pass along
information, and folk songs developed in the cane fields to ease the
backbreaking labor. Over generations, European elements, such as the
French quadrille introduced by planters, were absorbed as well, creating
a unique style.
OTHER BAHAMIAN STYLES
The Bahamas’ down-home, working-class music is rake ’n’ scrape, usu-
ally featuring a guitar, an accordion, shakers made from the pods of
poinciana trees and other makeshift instruments, such as a saw played
with a screwdriver.
Rake ’n’ scrape music can be heard at local bars throughout the islands,
and is a highlight of many festivals such as Family Island regattas. Grand
Junkanoo: Festival of the
Turk has a fabulous annual festival when these musicians gather from
Bahamas by Clement
across the Turks and Caicos region to display and enjoy their talents.
Bethel examines the
Spirituals were brought to the islands by Southern Loyalists’ slaves,
history of this fabulous
then adapted to incorporate purely Bahamian ‘call and answer’ tech-
Bahamian festival.
niques, rhyming exchanges of voices. Bahamian folk music is rooted in
spiritual and gospel hymns often performed in ‘rhymin’ style. Androsian
folk-singer Joseph Spence was the islands’ master of folk and blues.
Dance hall, a kind of Caribbean rap and the in-vogue working-class
music of the formerly British Caribbean islands, has evolved its own style
in the Bahamas, where it is known as ‘chatting.’ It is performed entirely in
 34 T H E C U LT U R E • • A r t s www.lonelyplanet.com
local dialect. The music has its origins in US urban ghettos of the 1990s,
The official Junkanoo
and usually has a monotonous yet fast-paced, compulsive beat, often with
website is www
vocals added to the rhythms. It is most often performed by local DJs with
.junkanoo.com.
their own mobile discos.
Architecture
The islands have their own architectural styles reflecting the influences of
early Bermudian settlers and US Loyalists. Most plantation and govern-
ment buildings were built of local sandstone and limestone, as were the
homes of the wealthy. The stones were fixed and finished by mortar and
The Hermit of Cat Island,
plaster containing lime produced by burning conch shells. Being thick –
by Peter F Anson, tells
sometimes as much as 3ft – these massive walls became temperature sinks,
the fascinating story of
keeping the building relatively cool even during the heat of midday.
Father Jerome, the hermit
On many islands, wooden houses are more prevalent. On Eleuthera
architect who blessed Cat
and the Loyalist Cays of the Abacos, a distinctive style evolved that has
and Long Islands with
been likened to that of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The most splendid
splendid churches. These
examples are in Dunmore Town and Spanish Wells (Eleuthera) and in
miniature Gothic build-
Hope Town, New Plymouth and Man O’ War Cay (Abacos). The Baha-
ings are everywhere.
mian clapboard house has been widely copied throughout the Caribbean
and in the Turks and Caicos a uniquely Bermudian influence has been at
work. Often the houses are made of ship-timber driftwood and planking,
the framework filled with cemented rubble rock and finished in plaster.
Smaller wooden homes in the Bahamas were elevated atop a masonry
ground floor, with balconies supported by stilts or masonry pillars. Not
JUMPING AT JUNKANOO
You feel the music before you see it…a frenzied barrage of whistles and horns overriding the
cowbells, the rumble of drums and the joyful blasts of conch shells. Then the costumed revelers
stream into view, whirling and gyrating like a kaleidoscope in rhythm with the cacophony. This is
Junkanoo, the national festival of the Bahamas – its equivalent of Carnaval or Mardi Gras – and
it is a mass of energy, color and partying that starts in the twilight hours of Boxing Day.
The name, pronounced junk-uh-NOO, is thought to come from a West African term for ‘deadly
sorcerer.’ Others say the festival is named for John Canoe, the tribal leader who demanded that his
enslaved people be allowed to enjoy a festivity. With its origins in West African secret societies,
the parade evolved on the plantations of the British Caribbean among slaves who were forbid-
den to observe their sacred rites. The all-male cast of masqueraders hid their identity, following
West African mask-wearing tradition.
At first Junkanoos were suppressed by the Bahamian colonial government, which feared they
might get out of hand and lead to slave uprisings. Later, planters encouraged them. Creole elem-
ents found their way into the ceremony, along with British Morris dancing, polkas and reels. On
Jamaica and other islands, Junkanoo was suppressed to extinction, but in the Bahamas it became
an integral part of the culture.
Junkanoo is fiercely competitive and many marchers belong to ‘shacks,’ groups who vie to
produce the best performance, costume, dancing and music. The most elaborately costumed
performers are one-person parade floats whose costume can weigh over 200lb, and depict ex-
otic scenes adorned with a myriad of glittering beads, foils and rhinestones. Many spend a year
planning their costumes, keeping their designs a carefully guarded secret.
The energy of this carnival is that of a joyous and frenetic explosion. In Nassau the first ‘rush,’ as the
parade is known, occurs on Boxing Day (December 26); the second happens on New Year’s Day and
the third in summer, when the shacks go over their game plans. Head for the Fish Frys if you won’t
be there for the festival, this is where the shacks rehearse their dances and the music for the big nights.
Thursday nights are practice night in Grand Bahama. In the Family Islands the summer ‘rushes’ are on
different days to Nassau. Parades start around 3am and finish by noon in time for a big lunch.
www.lonelyplanet.com T H E C U LT U R E • • A r t s 35
only did this allow airflow beneath the living quarters, it also kept them
above water level in the event of a hurricane surge.
The Family Islands are also peppered with tiny square stone buildings –
‘slave homes’ – that have survived decay and natural disasters. Many are
still inhabited. Each is the size of a pillbox, with a steep-angled, four-sided
A splendid book on
roof and an open kitchen in back, but no toilet. Communal outhouses
visual arts is Bahamian
(they, too, still stand) were built along the shore, where one would make
Art by Patricia Glinton-
a deposit straight into the sea.
Meicholas, Charles
Paint finishes were produced from linseed oil, wood spirits, or turpen-
Huggins and Basil Smith.
tine derived from pine and mixed with ochre, sienna, and other mineral
or organic pigments: iron oxides for barn red, copper oxides for green,
cobalt for blue, and zinc for white. The last two were expensive, and a
white house with blue shutters became a true status symbol.
Two common features on historic buildings are steep-pitched roofs
and an absence of roof overhangs. Designed to reduce wind resistance
during hurricanes, the steep pitch aids in rigidity and also prevents
airfoil uplift (the process that ‘lifts’ an aircraft off the ground) when
strong winds blow across it. The lack of overhang prevents the wind
from peeling back the roof. Those shady verandas you see everywhere
are invariably separate ‘sacrificial’ extensions to the roofs, designed so
that the wind may tear them away without taking the roofs as well.
Visual Arts
THE BAHAMAS
Bahamian indigenous
The so-called father of Bahamian art is Amos Ferguson, the foremost folk
artist Amos Ferguson
artist. Ferguson is intensely spiritual. His naive, palette-bright canvases
focus upon religion, history, nature and folklore, or ‘ol’ story.’ Ferguson defines his love of the
islands in Under the
began making bird figurines, tumblers and jars for the tourist trade. You
Sunday Tree: Paintings
can see a permanent collection of his works in the Pompey Museum in
by Mr Amos Ferguson,
Nassau.
with poems by Eloise
Brent Malone, Max Taylor, Rolph Harris and Alton Roland Lowe – the
Greenfield.
Bahamas’ artist laureate for more than three decades – are also all writ
large in the Bahamian art world.
The oils of Alton Lowe, a seventh-generation Loyalist Abaconian, are
much sought after by blue bloods and corporations. While Eddie Minnis,
also cartoonist, songwriter and musician is inspired by his devotion to
the church of Jehovah’s Witnesses. His limited-edition prints are popular,
and his original oils, works of intricate detail and vibrant color (he paints
less than a dozen per year), command thousands of dollars.
The islands’ plastic arts (ceramics, sculpture, painting, woodcarving and
textiles) have been late in flowering, and with the exception of straw-work,
the crafts industry is relatively undeveloped. It has been influenced in re-
cent years by the influx of Haitians, who have inspired intuitive hardwood
carvings, often brightly painted and highlighted by pointillist dots.
The stunning National
TURKS & CAICOS
Art Gallery of the
Though slow to develop, the arts scene in the Turks and Caicos has begun
Bahamas, housed in Lord
to blossom. Traditional music, folklore and sisal weaving evolved during
Dunmore’s old house,
colonial days and have been maintained to this day.
now has a website at
The local art scene is dominated by the Haitian community who paint
www.nagb.org.bs.
delightful oil and acrylic illustrations of village life back home. Many of
these artworks are of the vividly colored naif style, which has inspired
some plagiarism to benefit from the Haitians’ popularity. Look for gal-
leries and stores that sell signed paintings, these originals are still a steal,
ranging from around $18 to $200.
 36 T H E C U LT U R E • • A r t s www.lonelyplanet.com

However, Turks and Caicos Belongers artistry is also well represented.

Much of the work is inspired by the islands’ scenery, bird and marine
life, with rich colors redolent of the Caribbean. A thriving art scene has
also attracted expat artists from around the globe whose work should
not be dismissed lightly.
Some roadside stalls sell decorative metal tapestries, designed as wall
hangings. These are cut from old car wrecks, painted and varnished
and illustrate underwater scenes as well as Turks and Caicos island life.
Artist on His Island: A
These works are clever, witty and mostly small enough to fit in a suitcase.
Study of Self-Reliance by
Go shop!
Randolph W Johnston,
The Bamboo Gallery, in Provo, promotes the work of local artists,
tells of his and his fam-
including Dwight Outten, from Middle Caicos, whom some people con-
ily’s lives in the Abacos.
sider the leading artist in the islands. Another family member, Phillip
Outten, a Rastafarian, produces acrylic works (some in gay primary
colors, others more somber) inspired, he says, by his meditations and
‘concept of daily reality.’
The North Caicos Art Society in Whitby (North Caicos) sponsors
local art, emphasizing silkscreen painting. Lookout for Anna Bourne,
one of many expat artists who now lives on Provo and paints on silk
with French dyes.
The shopping section in Provo profiles a few really talented local artists
and details galleries (p250).
 37

Environment
If you’re keen to get close to nature, you’ll find plenty to keep you en-
thralled in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. You’ll also be doing the
islands a good turn, with nature tourism one of the most practical ways
If you love whales,
to save wild places and their inhabitants from erosive exploitation. The
find out more about
Bahamas and Turks and Caicos governments take their role as guardians
them on this site
of their ecology seriously and work in cooperation with several world-
dedicated to the
wide conservation bodies. Both nations have designated large areas of
whales of the Bahamas
land and sea as national parks.
www.rockisland
.com/%7eorcasurv
BAHAMAS /bcruisgd.htm.

The Bahamas archipelago sits atop, and is formed by, one of the greatest
masses of limestone in the world: a reef-shelf of solid sea fossils 20,000ft
thick, rising sheer-sided from the seabed. The result of nearly 150 million
years’ deposits, the islands as we know them today began to take their
present form only about 500,000 years ago.

THE LAND
The mostly linear islands are strewn in a general northwest–southeast
array. Several – Great Abaco, Eleuthera, Long Island, Andros – are as much
as 100 miles long. Few, however, are more than a few miles wide. All are
For a general overview,
low lying, the terrain either pancake-flat or gently undulating. Cat Island’s
Caribbean Flora by
Mt Alvernia, the highest point in the Bahamas, is only 206ft above sea
C Dennis Adams has
level.
detailed descriptions of
These shores are lined virtually their entire lengths by white- or pinkish-
individual species, accom-
sand beaches – about 2200 miles in all – shelving into turquoise shallows.
panied by illustrations.
Most islands have barrier reefs along the length of their eastern shores,
anywhere from 200yd to 2 miles out, that offer protection from Atlantic
waves.

Blue Holes
The islands are pocked by giant sinkholes – water-filled, often fathomless
circular pits that open to underground and submarine caves and descend
as far as 600ft.
Unique creatures have evolved to exist solely within the gloom of the
underwater caverns, including blind, pigmentless fish. Local lore attributes
deadly mermaids, mermen and sea monsters to many of the holes.

WILDLIFE After the Sunset (2004)

Apart from the cute curly tailed lizards darting around everywhere,
had Pierce Brosnan,
a number of iguanas can be found on Bahamian cays. Unfortunately
Woody Harrelson and
development hasn’t been good for them, and most species are now
Salma Hayek swanning
endangered. Animal lovers will also enjoy seeing the wandering bands
around the shores of
of donkeys, horses and chickens.
Eleuthera while involved
Virtually every island is a bird watcher’s haven, with accessible vegeta-
in a big heist: a retiring
tion and a variety of habitats for migrating and resident populations.
thief’s parting shot.
Animals
The archipelago has only 13 native land mammal species, 12 of them are
bats. All are endangered. The most common is the leaf-nosed bat. Bats
 38 B A HA MA S • • W i l d l i fe www.lonelyplanet.com
BIG BLOWS
The hurricane season in the Bahamas, like that of the US east coast, is from June to November,
with most activity occurring in August and September. The Turks and Caicos are luckily out of
the main hurricane paths.
Hurricanes that hit the Bahamas form off the coast of Africa and whip in a westerly direction
across the Atlantic. The first stage of a hurricane’s approach is called a tropical disturbance.
The next stage is a tropical depression. When winds exceed 40mph, the system is upgraded
to a tropical storm and is usually accompanied by heavy rains. The system is called a hur-
ricane if wind speed exceeds 75mph and intensifies around a low-pressure center called the
eye of the storm.
The strength of a hurricane is rated from one to five. The strongest and rarest hurricanes, the
Category-5 monsters, pack winds that exceed 155mph. Hurricanes travel at varying speeds, from
as little as 6mph to more than 31mph.
If you are caught by an approaching hurricane, follow local warnings. Hotels are typically of
concrete and steel construction capable of withstanding strong winds. If you have an oceanfront
room relocate inland.
In August, 1999, Hurricane Dennis raked the Abacos and Grand Bahama. A month later, Hur-
ricane Floyd, a 600-mile-wide whopper, pounded Cat, San Salvador, Abaco and Eleuthera with
winds up to 155 mph. In late 2004 two more hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, hit these same
islands along with Grand Bahama in quick succession. Massive flooding and the destruction of
many buildings again hit villages and the tourism industry. Luckily, few lives were lost.
For warnings, check the USA National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Prediction Center (www
.nhc.noaa.gov).
consume large amounts of insects, especially mosquitoes, and act as
important seed dispersers and pollinators for flora.
The human population
The only native terrestrial mammal is the endangered hutia, a cat-size
on Mayaguana is out-
brown rodent akin to a guinea pig; a small population lives on a small
numbered five to one by
cay in the Exumas.
wild horses and burros.
Wild boar roam the backcountry on larger islands. You might be sur-
prised to find North American raccoons on Grand Bahama. They were in-
troduced during Prohibition (popular pets among Yankee bootleggers).
Iguanas are shy and harmless vegetarians that have been virtually
eradicated by humans, feral dogs and cats, and now inhabit some outly-
ing isles and are protected.
Many Bahamian islands have endemic species of reptiles, such as Cat
Island, home to the Cat Island terrapin. Great Inagua also has its own
terrapin.
There are frogs, too, including the Cuban tree frog, whose mucus is
A useful book is Birds of
poisonous.
New Providence and the
Bahama Islands by PGC
BIRDS
Brudenell-Bruce. Also try
Bird-watchers exalt in the Bahamas’ 300 recorded species of birds. Only
Natives of the Bahamas:
a few are endemic, including the Bahama swallow, endangered Bahama
A Guide to Vegetation and
parrot and the Bahama woodstar hummingbird, which weighs less than
Birds of Grand Bahama, a
a US nickel.
nifty pocket-size booklet
The West Indian (Caribbean) flamingo, which is the national bird,
by Erika Moultrie.
inhabits Crooked Island, Long Cay and Great Inagua, a sanctuary with
over 50,000 birds.
From September through May, the forests swarm with visitors. Vireos,
flycatchers, thrushes and plovers visit, migrating between summer and
winter habitats. Bird-watchers also can spot Bahama whistling ducks,
guinea fowl, quails, snipes, coots, herons and gallinules in the wetlands.
www.lonelyplanet.com B A HA MA S • • N a t i o n a l Pa r k s 39
The pinelands of the northern Bahamas support a wide variety of
resident summer nesters, plus migratory songbirds in winter.
The red-tailed hawk is one of several birds of prey commonly seen
soaring high overhead, as is the jet-black turkey vulture, unmistakable
with its undertaker’s plumage and bald red head. The beautiful and di-
minutive osprey and kestrel prefer to spy from atop telegraph poles.
The islands are also home to the burrowing owl and the barn owl.
Both are protected species.
The 287-sq-mile national
park on Inagua protects
MARINE LIFE
the world’s largest
Different sources claim that the Bahamas has between 900 and 2700 sq
breeding colony of West
miles of coral reef. What is certain is that there are countless species of
Indian flamingos.
fish inhabiting these coasts, such as bonito, inflatable porcupine fish,
three species of stingrays, moray eel, lobsters, parrotfish, sharks, kingfish,
groupers, barracudas, jewelfish and deep-blue Creole wrasse.
Many dive outfitters offer trips to encounter wild stingrays. Up to 5ft
across, stingrays are quite gentle and will take food from your hand.
Humpback whales pass through the waters windward of the Bahamas
and blue whales are also frequently sighted. Atlantic bottlenose dolphins
frequent these waters, as do the less often seen Atlantic spotted dolphins.
Three species of marine turtles – green, loggerhead and, more rarely,
hawksbill – use the islands’ beaches as nest sites. Turtles migrate thou-
sands of miles to nest and lay their eggs here, as they have for at least
150 million years. Unfortunately these gentle creatures are endangered,
yet still hunted.
Plants
The Bahamas thin, rocky soil, underlain by limestone, is not conducive to
lush vegetation. Nonetheless, the islands together boast more than 1370
species of trees and plants, including 121 endemics, such as Bahamian
mahogany and Bahamian pine.
Lignum vitae, the national tree – which you may recognize by its clusters
of dark-blue blooms – has the heaviest timber of all known woods and
is much in demand among carvers (its bark, gum, fruit, leaves and blossoms
also serve useful purposes, including medicines for gout and syphilis).
The waxy branches of the candlewood tree, another endemic species,
Flipper (1996) brought us
were once lit as torches by Lucayan Indians.
a fresh (and tuna-free)
NATIONAL PARKS version of the old TV
series. A young boy and
The Bahamas has 22 national parks, reserves and protected areas which
dolphin become pals and
include large sections of the barrier reef.
once again save the day,
The parks are used for both scientific research and for protecting en-
showing the Bahamian
dangered species, and are maintained by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT;
seas in all their glory.
%242-393-1317; bnt@batelnet.bs; The Retreat, Village Rd, Nassau). Notably, the 175-sq-
mile Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park was created in 1958 as the first marine
fishery reserve in the world. The park now teems with prehistoric life
forms, coral reefs, turtles, fish and endangered rock iguanas and hutias.
The following boxed text does not include all the Wild Bird Reserves,
obtainable from the Department of Agriculture (%242-325-7413; fax 242-325-3960;
Levy Bldg, E Bay St, Nassau).
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Outside of the national park system, inappropriate development, pollu-
tion and overexploitation increasingly threaten wildlife and marine re-
sources. Although the Bahamas was the first Caribbean nation to outlaw
 40 B A HA MA S • • E n v i r o n m e n t a l I s s u e s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com T U R K S & C A I C O S • • W i l d l i fe 41

WILDLIFE PRESERVES IN THE BAHAMAS

Park Features Activities Location Page Park Features Activities Location Page

Abaco National Park 20,500 acres; endangered hiking, bird-watching p165 Lucayan National Park world’s longest known yachting, snorkeling, Grand Bahama p101
Bahama parrot underwater cave & diving, hiking,
Black Sound Cay small mangrove island; walking, bird-watching Abaco; adjacent cavern system; mangrove bird-watching
National Reserve wintering habitat for Green Turtle Cay wetland; birds
waterfowl & avifauna Rand Memorial Nature 100-acre site & BNT HQ; hiking, bird-watching Grand Bahama p103
Pelican Cays Land & 2100 acres; extensive coral yachting, snorkeling, Abaco p160 Center captive flamingo flock,
Sea Park reefs, undersea caves, diving, bird-watching native boa constrictors
abundant terrestrial & curly tailed lizards
plant & animal life Walker’s Cay Marine Park tropical fish, marine predators yachting, snorkeling, Grand Bahama p101
Tilloo Cay National 20-acre area of pristine hiking, bird-watching Abaco; between p160 & underwater cathedrals diving, hiking
Reserve wilderness; vital nesting Marsh Harbour Bahamas National 287 sq miles; world’s largest bird-watching tours Great Inagua p237
site for tropical birds & Pelican Cays Trust Park breeding colony of organized through
North Bight, Fresh Creek, initial stages of designation Andros p140 West Indian flamingos Nassau’s BNT office
Blanket Sound, Young yachting, snorkeling, Union Creek Reserve 7 sq miles; tidal creek tours organized through Great Inagua p18
Sound & Staniard Creek diving, bird-watching & marine turtle research Nassau’s BNT office
Conception Island temporary station for yachting, snorkeling, between Long p220 facility
National Park migrating birds & diving, bird-watching Island and San Little Inagua no freshwater or habitation, contact BNT for access Little Inagua p237
nesting green turtles Salvador with undisturbed biodiversity
Crab Cay & Mamma wild bird reserves walking, bird-watching Berry Islands
Little Island, Goat Cay wild bird reserves walking, bird-watching Little San Salvador p214
Rhoda Cay
& adjacent cay
Exuma Cays Land & 176 sq miles; world’s first yachting, snorkeling, Exuma Cays p204
Sea Park marine fishery reserve diving, hiking Bonefish Pond National 1800 acres; marine nursery yachting, snorkeling, New Providence
(1958); coral reefs, turtles, Park for fish, crawfish, conch, diving, bird-watching
fish, endangered rock waterfowl & flora
iguanas & hutias Harrold & Wilson Ponds 250 acres; 100 avian species hiking, bird-watching New Providence p63
Moriah Harbour Cay beaches, sand dunes & yachting, snorkeling, between Great p205 including herons,
mangrove creeks; gull- diving, hiking, and Little Exuma egrets & cormorants
billed terns, least terns, bird-watching Primeval Forest hardwood forest supports hiking New Providence
nighthawks, ospreys diverse plant species & features
& oystercatchers Retreat 11 acres; very large collection hiking New Providence p63
Peterson Cay National Park 1½-acre cay & surrounding yachting, snorkeling, Grand Bahama p118 of palms & tropical
coral gardens diving, hiking plants; BNT HQ

long-line fishing as a threat to the marine ecology, the islands’ stocks

of grouper, spiny lobster, turtle and conch all face the consequences of
over-fishing.
TURKS & CAICOS
As someone new (or
Commercial poaching, mostly by Cuban-Americans from Florida in the The islands are predominantly semi-arid, notably Salt Cay and much
not so new) to diving or
west and by Dominicans in the east, has also been a significant problem. of South Caicos and Grand Turk, which were denuded of vegetation to
snorkeling, why not learn
From the late 1970s the problem stirred several island communities to dissuade rainfall during the heyday of the salt industry. The larger, mid-
how to avoid damaging
establish their own nongovernmental reserves. The conch has been listed dle islands of North, Middle and East Caicos are lusher, with creeks, sand
the reefs that sustain the
by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES; www.cites.org) flats, lagoons and marshy wetlands. Most of the sandy beaches – some
marine life? Have a look
as ‘commercially threatened’ since 1994, and the Bahamas’ groupers are of the finest on the planet – are on the north and west shores, facing
at www.breef.org. The Turks and Caicos
now considered as being at the same risk. In early 2005 Bahamian fisher- the open ocean.
Islands – Beautiful by
men were complaining that international poachers were fishing the stock More than 30 protected areas have been set aside to conserve delicate
Nature by Julia and
during the ban. It should be added that it was still possible to find locally ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
Phil Davies is a lovely
caught grouper in the Bahamas at this time. See the boxed text on p89.
Coral reefs have also experienced damage by anchors, careless divers WILDLIFE illustrated introduction to
the islands.
and snorkelers as well as by Bahamian fishermen. The biggest culprit, Animals
however, is Mother Nature: hurricanes cause as much devastation as a There are almost as many donkeys, wild horses and cattle as humans,
minor war. though they stay in the wilds.
 42 T U R K S & C A I C O S • • W i l d l i fe www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com T U R K S & C A I C O S • • W i l d l i fe 43

Iguanas once inhabited much of the Turks and Caicos until they lost
their lives to introduced dogs and cats and their habitats to develop-
ment. Now Little Water Cay, Fort George Cay and Ambergris Cays are
all protected iguana reserves.
The Turks and Caicos rock
BIRDS
iguana is monogamous
The vast wetlands in the southern portions of the Caicos and numerous
over its 40-year life-span.
uninhabited cays make perfect nesting sites for seabirds. More than 175
species have been sighted, of which 78 are migratory land birds. Ospreys
are numerous and easily spotted, as are sparrow hawks and barn owls.
Flamingos – once numerous throughout the chain – are now limited to
West, North and South Caicos, where you may also see Cuban herons.
Frigate birds are more commonly seen here than in the Bahamas.
The most important nesting site is Vine Point (Middle Caicos), but they
also nest on Penniston Cay (near Grand Turk) and other islands. Many
cays are important nesting sites for sooty and roseate terns, Audubon’s
shearwaters and brown noddy terns.
MARINE LIFE
A flourishing population of bottlenose dolphins lives in these waters.
Some 7000 North Atlantic humpback whales use the Turks Island Pas-
sage and the Mouchoir Banks, south of Grand Turk, as their winter
breeding grounds between January and March. Manta rays are com-
monly seen during the spring plankton blooms off Grand Turk and
West Caicos.
The waters are favored by four species of turtle; hawksbills (an in-
ternationally endangered species, although sadly not recognized in this
region), greens, Loggerheads and occasionally leatherbacks.
Plants
Unique to the islands is the Turk’s Head cactus, which you’ll see on the
national flag. It’s easily recognizable: a short, stubby cactus topped by a
red flower shaped like a fez. Aloe and sisal are also common.
Wild orchids bloom in winter. The bougainvillea, the magnificent
royal poinciana and the casuarina are common introduced species.
Listen to the dolphins
Trees that bear fruits include the pigeon plum (good for making jams),
chatting to each other,
passion flower, genip (known in the Florida Keys as ‘Spanish lime’) and
and follow links to a heap
wild dilly, whose gummy fruit is favored by iguanas (humans prefer its
of dolphin sites and pic-
domesticated cousin, which produces chicle, once the main ingredient
tures at http://neptune
in chewing gum).
.atlantis-intl.com
/dolphins/sounds.html.
FLOWERING VARIETIES
Flowers abound every month of the year. In spring, all the islands are
ablaze with the orange blossoms of the croton and the dramatic vermilion

WILDLIFE PRESERVES IN TURKS & CAICOS

Park Features Activities Location Page Park Features Activities Location Page

West Caicos Marine coral reefs yachting, diving, West Caicos p242 Vine Point & Ocean Hole vast intertidal swamplands hiking, bird-watching, Middle Caicos p255
National Park snorkeling Nature Reserve along the south shore, snorkeling
Lake Catherine breeding grounds of flamingos, hiking, bird-watching West Caicos p242 a frigate-bird breeding
Nature Reserve osprey & waterbirds colony & a huge blue hole
Northwest Point Marine elkhorn coral; inland saline wall diving, hiking, Providenciales, p245 Admiral Cockburn Land scrub-covered shore & hiking, snorkeling, South Caicos p242
National Park ponds attract roseate bird-watching Caicos & Sea Park offshore coral reefs off yachting, diving
spoonbills & other waterfowl western South Caicos
Chalk Sound National a cay-studded lagoon snorkeling, swimming Providenciales, p245 Belle Sound & Admiral mangroves & bonefish hiking, bird-watching South Caicos p257
Park Caicos Cockburn Cays Nature flats west of South Caicos
Princess Alexandra the shore and offshore reefs snorkeling, diving, Providenciales, p242 Reserve
National Park along Grace Bay & the yachting, hiking Caicos Columbus Landfall western shore & coral reefs hiking, bird-watching, Grand Turk p259
cays northeast of Provo National Park off Cockburn Town; the snorkeling, yachting,
Ramsar Site marsh & intertidal wetlands; hiking, bird-watching, North, Middle p242 ocean deep begins within diving
breeding site & nursery for snorkeling, diving & East Caicos 400yd of shore
waterfowl, lobster, conch & fish South Creek National Park mangroves & wetlands along hiking, bird-watching, Grand Turk p259
Three Mary Cays seabird nesting site hiking, bird-watching North Caicos p242 the island’s south shore, snorkeling, yachting,
National Park home to migrating diving
East Bay Islands numerous small cays off North hiking, bird-watching, North Caicos p242 shorebirds & waders
National Park Caicos, favored sites for seabirds snorkeling, yachting, diving Grand Turk Cays Land comprises tiny cays – hiking, bird-watching, Grand Turk p266
Conch Bar Caves an extensive cave system, hiking, bat-watching, Middle Caicos p255 & Sea Park Gibb’s, Penniston, flora & fauna spotting,
National Park some with lagoons & swimming, historical Long & Martin Alonza snorkeling, yachting,
most with colonies of bats site viewing Pinzon – off the diving
& Indian petroglyphs southeast shore;
Middle Caicos Reserve beaches, freshwater lakes & hiking, bird-watching, Middle Caicos p255 important nesting
& Trail System pine forests are accessed swimming sites for seabirds,
by 10 miles of trails with abundant iguanas
inside the Ramsar site & Turk’s Head cactus
 44 T U R K S & C A I C O S • • N a t i o n a l Pa r k s www.lonelyplanet.com

of the Spathodea, known locally as the ‘Jesus Christ tree’ because it

blooms blood-red at Easter. It is commonly found outside churches.
The long, thin, twirled leaves of the sisal (which rattles in the wind and is
therefore also known as mother-in-law’s tongue) are used for weaving.
Many plants have long been used for bush medicines. Five-finger (also
known as chicken-toe), for example, is used to make a tea that relieves
body aches. The aromatic leaves of white sage are used as a salve for
chicken pox and measles, and wild guava is used to treat diabetes.

NATIONAL PARKS
Native flora and fauna are protected within 33 areas set aside as national
The Turks and Caicos
parks, nature reserves, sanctuaries and sites of historical interest under
Pocket Guide, edited by
the aegis of Turks and Caicos Islands National Parks, which administers
Julia Blake, is a handy
23 national parks and nature reserves. More information can be sought
encyclopedia full of facts
from the Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (Grand Turk %649-946-
and figures.
2855; ccr@tciway.tc; Providenciales %649-946-4017; South Caicos %/fax 649-946-3306).
Turks & Caicos National Trust (TCNT; %649-941-5710; tc.nattrust@tciway.tc; PO Box 540,
Providenciales) is a nongovernmental organization dedicated to the preser-
vation of the cultural, natural and historical heritage of the islands. The
Trust has established three underwater snorkeling trails: two off Provo
(Smith’s and Bight Reefs) and another off Grand Turk. It has initiated
countrywide studies of bird populations, and in 1999 gained interna-
tional funding to manage the Ramsar wetlands in North, Middle and
East Caicos.
 45

Diving Jean-Bernard Carillet

Be prepared to run out of superlatives. When it comes to providing en-

joyable, enthralling diving for the experienced and novices alike, the
Bahamas has no peer. Its great success as a diving mecca is due primar-
ily to the unbeatable repertoire of diving adventures it offers. Pristine
reefs, shipwrecks, blue holes, vertigo-inducing drop-offs, colorful tropical
fish, rays, sharks and dolphins are the reality of diving here. Where else
in the world can you join a shark feed, then go mingle with dolphins,
visit movie-set shipwrecks, descend along bottomless walls and explore
a mysterious blue hole – all in the same area? Added bonuses include
state-of-the-art dive operations and warm turquoise waters year-round.
In this fantasyland of colors, textures and shapes, several weeks would
not exhaust the opportunities for adventure and discovery.

DIVING CONDITIONS
There are consistently optimal diving conditions throughout the year.
Gin-clear visibility is the norm – it runs to 100ft and more – although the
occasional winds can roil the waters. The lack of pollution and run-off is
a definite bonus. Current conditions vary, but are generally imperceptible
to mild. ‘When it
During the coolest months (December through April), water tempera- comes to
tures are usually between 72°F and 76°F. Summer water temperatures
range from a balmy 78°F to 84°F. You won’t need anything more than providing
a 3mm wetsuit. enjoyable,
enthralling
MARINE LIFE
The Bahamas is one of the richest marine realms in the Caribbean. Its diving...the
warm tropical waters hold one of the greatest varieties of sea life found Bahamas
in the region. Dream of encountering the big stuff? You can mingle with has no peer.’
Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks, barracuda, bottlenose dolphins
and spotted dolphins. Prefer smaller, Technicolor critters? You’ll spot loads
of reef fish, including angelfish, snapper, jacks, grunts, parrotfish, lobsters,
cardinal fish, damselfish, Nassau groupers, stingrays and moray eels. Want
to see invertebrates? The vertical walls drip with gorgonians, hard corals,
sponges and crinoids, combining to create a vivid and sensual tapestry.

DIVE SITES IN THE BAHAMAS

The following descriptions are by no means exhaustive. For a detailed
guide of the Bahamas’ underwater possibilities, see Lonely Planet’s Diving
& Snorkeling Bahamas.

NEW PROVIDENCE
The strength of New Providence is the sheer variety of attractions, in-
cluding superb shipwrecks, breathtaking walls along the Tongue of the
Ocean, a varied topography and healthy coral gardens. But what makes
it so unique is the shark diving. Divers from all over the world come
here to experience a fantastic adrenaline rush at Shark Wall and Shark
Arena, two feeding spots south of the island. On a coral rubble patch, in
less than 65ft, the divers form a semicircle a few meters away from the
feeders to watch the show. And what a show! Wearing a helmet and steel
46 D I V E S I T E S I N T H E B A HA MA S www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com D I V E S I T E S I N T H E B A HA MA S 47

DIVE SITES IN THE BAHAMAS 0

0
100 km
60 miles

A B 22
C D E F G H
Walker's Cay
ELEVATION DIVE SITES Dean’s Blue Hole............................. 17 G6
42 Alec's Cavern..................................... 1 C4 Debra K............................................18 D1
Anchor Reef.......................................2 F5 Devil’s Backbone Wrecks..................19 E3
1 Little Sea Level Angelfish Blue Hole............................3 F6 Devil’s Claw.....................................20 G5 1
29 Bahama Arch...................................................4 E3 Diana’s Dungeons............................21 C4
27ºN 30 Bank Little
Fox Town Abaco -650ft Bahama Mama...................................5 D4 Dorothy H........................................22 C1
44 35 Barracuda Heads.................................6 F5 Esther K..........................................(see 22)
Ben's Cavern......................................7 C2 Flamingo Tongue Reef......................23 F5
Grand Bahama 18
West Palm Beach New Plymouth Big Blue Hole......................................8 C4 Fowl Cay Reef..................................24 F6
West End Big O.................................................9 D2 French Bay.......................................25 G5
F l o r i d a

48 9
7 High McLean’s Town Bimini Barge.....................................10 A3 Guana Reef......................................(see 2)
UNITED Rock Bimini Road......................................11 B3 Hawksbill Reef.................................26 A3
STATES OF Freeport Lucaya Little Black Forest......................................12 G5 Hole in the Wall...............................27 C4
Bahama The Marsh
AMERICA 47 Marls Harbour Bond Wrecks....................................13 D4 Hole in the Wall................................28 F5
37 Bank
40 Conception Wall.............................. 14 G5 Memory Rock...................................29 B1
No Crab Cay Crevasse............................15 F6 Mount Olympus...............................30 B1
2 rt Current Cut......................................16 D3 MV Comberbach..............................31 F5 2
hw
e st North Pole Cave...............................32 G5
Pr o Great Over the Wall................................(see 27)
o f

Fort Lauderdale vid

enc Abaco Pirate's Cathedral.............................(see 9)
26ºN e Chan Plateau.............................................33 E3
ne l Playground.......................................34 F5
Sandy
Point San Jacinto.......................................35 D1
t s

Sapona.............................................36 B3
26 11 Sea Star II.........................................37 C2
a i

Bullock’s Sea Viking........................................ 38 D4

l
43 Alice Town Harbour ne Shark Arena..................................... 39 D4
Great Harbour an
t r

10 ATLANTIC
Ch
36 Spanish Shark Junction..................................40 B2
Cay Berry Wells
Islands e Shark Reef........................................41 F5
Biminis c
S

d en 19 OCEAN Shark Rodeo.....................................42 C1

3 vi 4 Shark Wall.....................................(see 39) 3
ro 33 Strip.................................................43 A3
P Dunmore
Sugar Wreck.....................................44 B1
st
Town
16 Tarpon Cave....................................(see 9)
a
e Eleuthera Tartar Bank.......................................45 F5
th
G

Telephone Pole................................ 46 G5
r
o

Paradise Theo’s Wreck...................................47 B2

N

Cable Island Governor’s

r

Harbour Three Peaks.....................................(see 9)

25ºN 49 Beach
San Andros Nassau Treasure Cay Blue Hole.................... 48 D2
e

Wall...............................................(see 43)
New
13 Providence Tarpum Bay Willaurie.......................................... 49 D4
5
a

27
39
1
8 38
t

4 Andros Town 21 4
T o

Arthur's Town
n g

Andros Little San

Salvador Cat Island
u e
B

E
New Bight
S a n

x
Little Harbour Mt Alvernia
(Moxey Town)

u
a

206ft

m
Exuma
o f

San

a
Cays Staniel Cay
h

Salvador
t

24ºN S 28 46
34 Cockburn
a

o
a r

45 20 Town
t h

u 32
n
m

5 d 12 25
5
e
e n

Mars Bay Conception

a

Island
Cay Sal Bank
O

14
Great Rum Cay
e
c

a Barreterre Exuma
C

31
n Seymours Port Nelson
6
h

Tropic of Cancer 2 23
41 Stella Maris
a

George Town 3
24
n

Williams Town
a
n

15
Little
e

Exuma Long Island

k
l

Deadman’s Cay
6 Samana Cay 6
17
Clarence Town
23ºN Jumento
Cays
Gordons Long
Crooked Island Cay
Channel Crooked
CUBA 79ºW 78ºW 77ºW 76ºW 75ºW Island 74ºW
 48 D I V E S I T E S I N T H E B A HA MA S • • G r a n d B a h a m a www.lonelyplanet.com
gloves and using a pole spear, the feeders dip into a box and pull out a
hunk of fish. In a few seconds they are surrounded by a dense cloud of
Caribbean reef sharks, along with nurse sharks. The scene is awesome:
the sharks tear hunks off the bait, ripping it away with a shake of the
head. The divers are motionless, within touching distance of the sharks.
After 15 minutes of intense activity, the remains are tossed aside and the
dive continues at a calmer pace.
Need a less challenging site? Check out the numerous wrecks around
the island. The Bond Wrecks are probably the most appealing. The site
earned its name from the wrecks’ roles in James Bond ‘007’ films. They
feature a tug that sits upright on a sandy bottom in about 45ft, and a
nearby mock fighter plane that has disintegrated. You’ll swim around and
inside the ribs of the mock-up, festooned with soft and hard corals, all with
vivid hues. Other recommended wrecks include the massive Willaurie,
draped with corals and glowing sponges, in about 60ft, the 110ft Bahama
‘...sharks Mama, which was scuttled in 1995, and the Sea Viking, another vessel still
tear hunks in good shape, on the edge of the drop-off. The abundant fish life around
the wrecks is a bonus. All of them are accessible to novice divers.
off the bait,
ripping it GRAND BAHAMA
away with Like New Providence, Grand Bahama boasts an exceptional diversity of
underwater wonders. The island is world famous for its Dolphin Experi-
a shake of ence programs offered by the Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO;
the head.’ p107). Divers can interact with tame bottlenose dolphins in the open
ocean, in a fascinating – though artificial – show conducted by dolphin
trainers. Divers are positioned on the seafloor while two semicaptive dol-
phins glide over and play with them, under the guidance of the trainer.
Take your regulator out of your mouth and these graceful cetaceans will
expect a kiss! Some divers find it fun, while others are much more skeptical
about this circuslike performance and prefer real encounters in the wild.
Grand Bahama is also blessed with first-rate shipwrecks. The photo-
genic Theo’s Wreck is a long-standing favorite. She rests on her port
side at a depth of 110ft. Divers can penetrate the engine rooms and cargo
holes. Another prime wreck is the Sea Star II, a large vessel scuttled in
2002. She is starting to be encrusted by invertebrates, and can be entered
as well. In less than 20ft, the scattered remnants of Sugar Wreck are not
exactly impressive but they host a profusion of fish life, including nurse
sharks, moray eels, turtles, groupers and barracuda.
Mount Olympus and Memory Rock rank among the most spectacular
sites, and for good reason. On the eastern edge of the Gulf Stream, far
from the island, they boast a dramatic seascape. Memory Rock is a superb
wall dive, sporting a dazzling array of sponges, corals and gorgonians.
The frequent occurrence of pelagics also spices up the diving. Mount
Olympus is a very atmospheric site, featuring a series of prominent,
mountainlike coral boulders laced with sand valleys and gullies. The area
shelters an underwater Eden of lush coral growth and copious fish life. If
you’re lucky, you’ll spot hammerheads.
Inland, experienced divers might want to dive at Ben’s Cavern, which
sits within the boundaries of Lucayan National Park. The vast cave is
decorated with huge stalactites and stalagmites.
In the mood for a thrill-packed dive? Try Shark Junction, another shark
dive. Here, the feeders wear chain mail shark suits and lead an exceptional
show. They can literally place sharks in a trance, stroking their snouts and
holding the predators’ heads in their laps for several seconds. Visiting
divers are thus given a chance to approach a shark very closely.
www.lonelyplanet.com D I V E S I T E S I N T H E B A HA MA S • • A n d r o s 49
BLUE HOLES
Blue holes are the result of changing sea levels and chemical reactions (the limestone platforms
are dissolved by the combination of fresh water and carbon dioxide). The Bahamas, and especially
Andros, are famous for their numerous, massive and mysterious blue holes that form a fantastic
playground for divers. They vary in shape and size, but many blue holes lead into elaborate
cavern systems. The opening resembles a large, deep-blue disk.
ANDROS
A mere 20-minute plane hop from Grand Bahama opens up a whole
new world of diving. Andros is one of the most intriguing islands in the
Bahamas, with a sense of frontier diving. Dive Andros Wall and you’ll
understand why. This awesome drop-off plummets down 6000ft into the
Tongue of the Ocean. It is adorned with sponges, sea whips and gorgon-
ians, and riddled with overhangs, chimneys, arches and caverns, such as
those in Diana’s Dungeons, Alec’s Cavern, Hole in the Wall and Over the
Wall, four fantastic sites at the edge of the wall. Keep your eyes peeled for
big pelagics. There are also numerous shallow reef dives in the area.
Another attraction is the presence of oceanic and inland blue holes.
Over the years Andros has become the epitome of blue hole diving.
While inland blue holes are for highly trained specialty divers only,
there are some exceptional oceanic blue holes that are perfectly suitable
for novice and intermediate divers. Consider the Big Blue Hole that
originated from a collapse of the sea wall. This magical site features an ‘Andros is
enormous cavern system endowed with huge tunnels, boulders and other one of the
massive geological structures. You’ll feel like you’re floating in a lunar
landscape. Unforgettable. most intrigu-
ing islands
CAT ISLAND in the Baha-
Less-visited Cat Island is a true gem with numerous untouched sites
for those willing to venture away from the tourist areas. The dramatic mas, with
seascape is the main drawcard, with an outstanding vertical wall that a sense of
borders the south end of the island. It is peppered with numerous chasms, frontier
coral canyons, sandy valleys, gullies, faults and swim-throughs. Pelagics,
especially sharks, regularly patrol the area. There are also elaborate shal- diving.’
low reefs and coral gardens inside the reef. Recommended sites include
Hole in the Wall, an L-shaped channel in the wall, teeming with snappers,
groupers, jacks and lots of soft and hard corals; the Trench, an impressive
groove in the reef, with an exit over the vertical wall; the Playground, at
the tip of Devil’s Point, a varied site with a prolific fish life, including
turtles, jacks, groupers, lobsters, squirrelfish and nurse sharks hanging
under ledges. Tartar Bank, an offshore pinnacle three miles from the
coast, deserves special attention: the site’s near-constant current attracts
plenty of schooling fish, along with nurse sharks and turtles.
BIMINIS
The Biminis are famous for the Wild Dolphin Excursions offered by Bill
& Nowdla Keefe’s Bimini Undersea dive center (p129). The experience
differs completely from the Dolphin Encounter programs in Grand Ba-
hama. Here it’s much more spontaneous. You’ll snorkel with a pod of
wild Atlantic spotted dolphins in their natural habitat on a flat northeast
of the island – it requires a 1½-hour boat trip from the marina. While
the encounter is not exactly guaranteed, Bill & Nowdla Keefe’s Bimini
Undersea claims a success rate of 80%. On a safe, sandy bottom less than
50 D I V E S I T E S I N T H E B A HA MA S • • S a n S a l v a d o r www.lonelyplanet.com
33ft deep, the graceful creatures gently frolic with the snorkelers. The
dolphins are never forced to do anything they don’t want to, and they
are never rewarded with food. Don’t miss this exhilarating excursion,
it’s sheer delight.
Diving in the Biminis is not limited to dolphin encounters. Wreck buffs
will explore the Bimini Barge, a magnificent barge sitting upright in about
90ft near the edge of the drop-off, and the Sapona, which sits half in and
half out of the water and is surrounded by a smorgasbord of reef fish. Both
are decorated with a kaleidoscope of delightful corals and sponges.
Experienced divers won’t miss the Wall, a sensational, high-voltage
drift dive in the nutrient-rich Gulf Stream, over the edge of the continen-
tal shelf. Here you never know what you’re going to see. Other favorites
include the Strip, a colorful night dive along a strip of reef surrounded
by sand, Hawksbill Reef and Bimini Road, an unusual site with a double
line of large, neat square slabs, said to be the remnants of the legendary
civilization of Atlantis.
SAN SALVADOR
‘San Sal’ boasts world-class wall-diving. Look at a topographic map and
you’ll see why. The island is an exposed seamount, surrounded by walls
that tumble vertically to several thousand feet. Its isolation and the depth of
the surrounding water make it a magnet for both pelagic and reef species,
including big numbers of friendly groupers and passing hammerheads.
There are also big cave and tunnel formations. Most dive sites are scattered
along the west coast, sheltered from the prevailing winds. Don’t think this
is all challenging diving, however. You don’t need to go deep – the wall
starts at just 50ft or so. The local dive center, Riding Rock Resort & Marina
(p218) uses at least 20 dive sites. Don’t miss Devil’s Claw, Telephone Pole,
Doolittle’s Grotto, North Pole Cave, Black Forest and French Bay.
THE EXUMAS
If you want relaxed diving, the Exumas will appeal to you. There are some
excellent reef dives off George Town, near Stocking Island – ask for Guana
Reef, Fowl Cay Reef or Anchor Reef, ablaze with colorful life. The barrier
reef is in pristine condition and you’ll have the sites to yourself. Another
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH SHARKS AND DOLPHINS
The Bahamas was one of the very first places where the art of shark diving was refined. Shark
feeding started in the ’70s in Long Island and has now reached a very commercial level. Divers
from all over the globe come to the ‘shark-diving capital of the world’ to sample the thrill of a
lifetime. Whether or not these artificial encounters are a good idea is open to debate. On the
one hand, it undeniably disrupts natural behavior patterns. Sharks that grow dependent on ‘free
lunches’ may unlearn vital survival skills. Some have developed dangerous Pavlovian responses
to the sound of revving boat motors. On the other hand, it is undoubtedly spectacular and it has
been conducted without any accident so far. Some experts we met, including people from BREEF
(Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation; %242 362-6477; www.breef.org) and Dr Samuel Gruber,
a marine biologist based in the Biminis, think that these well-choreographed performances have
educational virtues and are a good way to raise awareness among divers. In other words, a diver
who has viewed this often-misunderstood creature up close becomes an instant shark lover. These
encounters have done a lot to restore a positive image of these denizens of the deep.
And what about dolphin encounters? Again, the big dolphin business might make you feel
uncomfortable, and for good reason. But underwater your suspicions will be dissipated: interact-
ing with wild dolphins in the open ocean is an extraordinary experience.
www.lonelyplanet.com D I V E S I T E S I N T H E B A HA MA S • • W a l k e r ’ s C a y 51
highlight is the numerous caves and blue holes that are hollowed out in the
reef. They are far less intimidating than those at Andros and are a perfect
introduction to blue hole diving. You’ll explore the nooks and crannies of
Crab Cay Crevasse, a very atmospheric blue hole, divable only at outgoing
tide, and Angelfish Blue Hole, with an O-shaped entryway in about 25ft.
Look for the resident lobsters, grunts, angelfish and nurse sharks.
WALKER’S CAY
Walker’s Cay’s main claim to fame is Shark Rodeo, a bewildering shark
gathering that will enthrall even the most blasé divers – expect more than
100 sharks at a time. Guests are positioned on the seabed while bait made
of frozen fish scraps – commonly referred to as a ‘chumsicle’ – is lowered
in the midwater. It attracts dozens of sharks that hurl themselves on the
offerings. What’s astonishing is the variety of species that congregate
around this free snack; you’ll see the usual bulky Caribbean reef sharks
and nurse sharks, plus bull, blacktip and lemon sharks. Sometimes a
hammerhead joins the fray. If you feel comfortable, you can swim around
with the swirling predators. A truly memorable experience.
The dive menu also includes two wrecks, the Esther K and the Dorothy H.
These 100ft tugboats were scuttled as artificial reefs. They rest upright on a
sandy bottom in about 100ft and are home to a variety of reef species.
LONG ISLAND
Relaxed, unhurried Long Island offers superb dive sites off its northwestern
tip. There are some outstanding reefs with thriving fish life, and a not-
to-be-missed wreck, MV Comberbach, a 103ft steel freighter scuttled in
1986 and resting upright in 100ft. Since then it has become nicely encrusted
and has attracted a host of colorful species, including amberjacks, groupers
and parrotfish. Inside you’ll find a broken van. Another Long Island peren-
nial favorite is Barracuda Heads. Imagine a vast, sandy expanse studded ‘For sheer
with a jumble of large coral heads, with the usual species of multicolored beauty and
reef fish fluttering about. Big barracuda also patrol the area. Further south,
Flamingo Tongue Reef is also well worth it, with a similar setting. plenty of
If you’re after something more thrilling, you’ll find Shark Reef very fish life, this
rewarding. This is a very special shark feed. Divers kneel on the sandy protected
seabed in about 40ft, then a bucket of chum is released from the stern
of the dive boat. A gang of Caribbean reef sharks will immediately dart sanctuary is
to the scene, vying for the free meal. The frenzy is quite intimidating hard to rival.’
but when the bucket is empty the sharks usually leave the area. The dive
continues across the reef. Dean’s Blue Hole is another fave. It’s the largest
blue hole in the Bahamas and is accessible from shore.
Long Island is also a good base for day trips to Conception Island, an
uninhabited island and a national nature reserve 15 miles to the north.
It features an absolutely pristine wall, densely carpeted with massive
sponges and lush corals. For sheer beauty and plenty of fish life, this
protected sanctuary is hard to rival.
ABACOS
Abacos is a diver’s treat, with a good mix of caves, reef dives, wrecks and
inland holes. Of particular interest is the San Jacinto, which sank in 1865.
Her remains are strewn on a gentle slope in less than 50ft. You’ll see its
big boilers, engine, propeller, stern and other structures. There’s abundant
fish life hanging around, including schools of grunts, snapper, goatfish,
groupers and spotted eels. Further south, the Debra K is another fish
haven, at about 45ft. It’s also broken up, but is very atmospheric.
 52 D I V E C E N T E R S • • Fa c i l i t i e s & C o s t s www.lonelyplanet.com
There are some excellent reef dives near Great Guana Cay, including
Three Peaks, Big O, Cathedral and Tarpon Cave. They feature an intricate
cave system, with fissures and chimneys, in about 30ft. You shouldn’t feel
apprehensive, because sunbeams shine through skylights in the caves.
The caverns, nooks and crannies are worth close inspection since they are
packed with groupers, silversides, lobsters, snapper and jacks. Outside,
you’ll probably come across huge tarpon and big barracuda.
Seasoned divers will take to Treasure Cay Blue Hole, a fantastic inland
blue hole, accessible by car from Marsh Harbour. The profile is a bit in-
timidating – there’s a sulfur layer between 45ft to 60ft that prevents light
from penetrating further. A strong flashlight is needed, and there’s a rope
to help the descent.
ELEUTHERA
Eleuthera offers a wide range of diving experiences, ranging from wall
diving to drift dives and wreck dives. Most sites are located in the north,
out of Harbour Island. If you want a thrilling ride, try Current Cut, a
‘...you’ll feel narrow channel between the western tip of North Eleuthera and Current
as though Island. During tidal exchange, divers are sucked into the pass and pro-
pelled through the funnel by the powerful current. For about 10 minutes,
you’re glid- you’ll feel as though you’re gliding, accompanied by a procession of fish,
ing, accom- both reef species and pelagics. The ride of a lifetime!
panied by Wreck enthusiasts will enjoy Devil’s Backbone Wrecks. The treacherous
Devil’s Backbone reef has snared many vessels, such as the Cienfuegos, a
a procession 292ft American steamship that ran aground on the reef in 1895, the Potato
of fish, both & Onion Wreck and the Carnarvon, another freighter. They are mostly
reef species dismembered but some of their structures are still recognizable.
Other must-see dives include the Plateau, the Arch, the Grotto and the
and pelagics.’ Blow Hole. As their names suggest, they boast a dramatic topography,
with canyons, grooves, ledges, tunnels and crevices, all harboring large
and small tropical fish.
DIVE CENTERS
FACILITIES & COSTS
The Bahamas’ dive centers offer a whole range of services and products,
such as introductory dives (for children aged six years and over, and adults),
night dives, exploratory dives, specialty dives (such as blue holes, drift
dives, Nitrox dives) and certification programs (usually PADI or NAUI).
While most dive shops are owned and operated independently of the
island hotels, you may be able to book a dive package that includes both
diving and lodging at a reputable hotel or resort. Generally, dive opera-
tions provide transfers to and from hotels.
An introductory dive, including equipment, will cost about $90. A single
dive, with only a tank and weights supplied, runs from $35 to $45, and
much more for a specialty dive (such as shark dives or dolphin dives). If you
need to rent equipment as well, expect to pay an extra $15 to $20 per dive.
There are usually two-, five- and 10-dive packages, which are much cheaper.
An Open Water certification course will set you back about $380.
CHOOSING A DIVE CENTER
Good news – there’s a plethora of full-service, professional dive operations
in the Bahamas. All of them are affiliated to one or more professional cer-
tifying agencies (PADI, NAUI, CMAS). You can expect well-maintained
www.lonelyplanet.com D I V E C E N T E R S • • C h o o s i n g a D i v e C e n t e r 53
RESPONSIBLE DIVING
The Bahamas islands are ecologically vulnerable. By following these guidelines while diving, you
can help preserve the ecology and beauty of the reefs:
! Encourage dive operators in their efforts to establish permanent moorings at appropriate
dive sites.
! Practice and maintain proper buoyancy control.
! Avoid touching living marine organisms with your body and equipment.
! Take great care in underwater caves, as your air bubbles can damage fragile organisms.
! Minimize your disturbance of marine animals.
! Take home all your trash and any litter you may find as well.
! Never stand on corals, even if they look solid and robust.
and cutting-edge equipment, top-notch facilities and friendly, knowledge-
able staff. But like a hotel or a restaurant, each diving center has its own
style. Some people may suit the personalized attention and family-like
atmosphere of a smaller outfit, while others will prefer the logistics and
the structured professionalism of a larger center. Do your research and opt
for the one that best suits your expectations. Check the Bahamas Diving
Association website www.bahamasdiving.com for more information.
New Providence
Bahamas Divers (%242-393-5644, 800-398-3483; www.bahamasdivers.com)
Dive Dive Dive (%800-368-3483; www.divedivedive.com)
Nassau Scuba Centre (%242-362-1964, 800-805-5485; www.divenassau.com)
Stuart Cove’s Aqua Adventures (%800-879-9832, 954-524-5755; www.stuartcove.com)
Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama Scuba (%242-373-6775; www.grandbahamascuba.com)
Sunn Odyssey Divers (%242-373-4014; www.sunnodysseydivers.com)
Underwater Explorers Society, UNEXSO (%242-373-1244, 800-992-3483; www.unexso.com)
Viva Diving (%242-373-4000; www.vivaresorts.com)
Xanadu Undersea Adventures (%800-327-8150; 242-352-3811; www.nealwatson.com
/freeport.html)
Abacos
Abaco Dive Adventures (%242-367-2963; www.abacodiveadventures.com)
Brendal’s Dive Center (%242-365-4441; www.brendal.com)
Dive Abaco (%800-247-5338, 242-367-2787; www.diveabaco.com)
Dive Guana (%242-365-5178; www.diveguana.com)
Treasure Divers (%242- 365-8465, 800-327-1584; www.treasure-divers.com)
Biminis
Bill & Nowdla Keefe’s Bimini Undersea (%242-347-3089, 800-348-4644; www.bimini
undersea.com)
Scuba Bimini Dive Centre (%954-524-6090, 800-848-4073, 242-347-444; www.scubabimini.com)
Long Island
Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort (%242-338-5273, 800-663-7090; www.capesantamaria.com)
Reel Divers (%242-338-0011; www.reeldivers.com)
Stella Maris Resort Club (%242-338-2051, 800-426-0466; www.stellamarisresort.com)
54 D I V I N G I N T H E T U R K S & C A I C O S www.lonelyplanet.com

LIVE-ABOARDS
Several live-aboards ply the waters of the Bahamas, with usually weeklong itineraries. A live-
aboard dive trip is recommended for those looking to experience unchartered and uncrowded
dive sites beyond the reach of land-based dive operations. Each vessel has its own itinerary but
most of them stage shark dives and dolphin dives. The following vessels leave from Miami, Fort
Lauderdale or Nassau.
Aqua Cat (www.aquacatcruises.com)
Blackbeard’s Cruises (www.blackbeard-cruises.com)
Bottom Time Adventures (www.bottomtimeadventures.com)
Dream Too (www.dolphindreamteam.com)
Nekton Diving Cruises (www.nektoncruises.com)
Ocean Explorer (www.oceanexplorerinc.com)

Andros
Small Hope Bay Lodge (%800-223-6961, 242-368-2014; www.smallhope.com)

Cat Island
Hawk’s Nest Resort & Marina (%242-342-7050, 800-688-4752; www.hawks-nest.com)
Hotel Greenwood Beach Resort (%242-342-3053; www.greenwoodbeachresort.net)

Eleuthera
Ocean Fox (%242-333-2323, 877-252-3594; www.oceanfox.com)
Valentine’s Dive Center (%242-333-2080; www.valentinesdive.com)

Exuma
Exuma Scuba Adventures (%242-336-2893; www.exumascuba.com)

San Salvador
Club Med Columbus Isle (%242-331-2000; www.clubmed.com)
Riding Rock Resort & Marina (%800-272-1492, 242-331-2631; www.ridingrock.com)

DIVING IN THE TURKS & CAICOS

It’s more or less the same story below the waterline. Though less charis-
matic and less varied than the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos offer
premier dive sites. Here, you can expect magnificent reefs, dramatic walls
and an abundance of marine life, including wild dolphins, sharks, rays
and even humpback whales during winter months in Salt Cay. Most of
the dive sites are wall dives on the protected sides of the islands. Here’s
a list of the main dive outfits:
Big Blue Unlimited (%649-946-5034; Providenciales; www.bigblue.tc)
Blue Water Divers (%649-946-2432; Grand Turk; www.grandturkscuba.com)
Caicos Adventures (%649-941-3346; Providenciales; www.caicosadventures.tc)
Dive Provo (%649-946-5029; Providenciales; www.diveprovo.com)
Flamingo Divers (%649-946-4193; Providenciales; www.flamingodivers.com)
J&B Tours (%649-946-5047; Providenciales; www.jbtours.com)
O2 Technical Diving (%649-941-3499; Providenciales; www.o2technicaldiving.com)
Ocean Vibes Scuba & Watersports (%649-231-6636; Providenciales; www.oceanvibes.com)
Provo Turtle Divers (%649-946-4232; Providenciales; www.provoturtledivers.com)
Salt Cay Divers (%649-946-6906; Salt Cay; www.saltcaydivers.tc)
Silver Deep (%649-946-5612; Providenciales; www.silverdeep.com)
South Caicos Ocean Haven (%649-946-3444; South Caicos)
 55

Food & Drink

The cuisine of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands is influence
by the surrounding ocean, with fish and shellfish appearing as the main
ingredient in many dishes across the region. Cultural influences are also
distinctive. From the African slaves came spices such as chili peppers
Multi-Oscar-winning
as well as the side dishes of johnnycakes – sweetbreads or drop-scones
Silence of the Lambs by
made with shortening – and peas ’n’ rice. English settlers brought in
Orion Pictures (1991)
stews, roasts, pies and the ubiquitous macaroni cheese, while US fast-
did a lot for promoting
food dishes, such as burgers (albeit with an island slant) are also hugely
Bahamian cooking. The
popular.
famous scene where
There isn’t great variety in the sometimes bland dishes prepared across
Hannibal tells Clarice that
the islands. However a distinctive French flavor is emerging in the Turks
he’s having a friend for
and Caicos which helps to give their cuisine a distinctive edge.
dinner was shot in the
STAPLES & SPECIALTIES Bahamas.
With little agriculture or production in the region, most Bahamians and
Turks and Caicos islanders rely mainly on imported fruit, vegetables,
meat and general foodstuffs for their consumption and for supplying the
tourists. Conch and grouper, free-range chickens and eggs are examples
of the few locally provided proteins.
Rice (imported) is the dietary staple, usually eaten with peas, such as
red beans, pigeon peas, or lima beans. Another favorite is grits (ground
Jaws: the Revenge by
corn), also usually mixed with peas. Peas also find their way into hearty
Universal Pictures (1987)
soups along with okra, meats, and vegetables. Potato salad sometimes
had scenes shot in the
takes the place of rice.
Bahamas. Guess what?
Breakfasts tend toward US style, with grits the staple. A local breakfast
There’s a hungry shark
favorite is grits served with either tuna, corned beef or eggs.
out there who fancies
something other than
Fruit & Vegetables
conch burgers…
At one time rare and exotic fruits were synonymous with the Bahamas, most
notably pineapple, which during the 19th century enjoyed a worldwide

JOHNNYCAKE
Look out for johnnycake, sweet bread that is served hot with creamy butter. This is the bread
eaten for breakfast on all regional islands. It is heavier and sweeter than most breads, but when
served hot with fresh butter, there is nothing better. Don’t even bother adding jam or marmalade.
You can make your own with these ingredients:
! ¾ cup vegetable shortening
! 6 cups plain flour
! a generous pinch of salt
! 1–3 tbs sugar
! 2 cups water

Mix the shortening and flour with a dough knife until there is a lumpy consistency throughout.
Stir in the salt and sugar, then add the water a little bit at a time until the dough is the proper
consistency for regular bread. Knead it for about 10 minutes, until it’s smooth, and plop it into
a greased bread pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C) until it is tawny and crusty. Serve it right away,
plain or with butter.
 56 F O O D & D R I N K • • S t a p l e s & S p e c i a l t i e s www.lonelyplanet.com
TRAVEL YOUR TASTEBUDS
Souse is a regional favorite. There are many different ways of preparing it, but the end result is
generally a sort of stew with a thick gravy. Fish is the usual main ingredient, but souses can also
be made with conch, chicken, meat or tongue.
Those with delicate stomachs should avoid meat souse; mutton boiled in saltwater, along
with tongue, trotters, anything else lying around that is also grey and wobbly, and cooked with
lime juice and pepper.
reputation. Only minuscule quantities are produced today, but look for
the Eleutheran sugar loaf or Spanish scarlet varieties, considered espe-
cially delicious.
The conch, a staple pro-
Hurricanes have destroyed many small plantations, but there are still
tein in the islands, is an
fruits and vegetables to be found including green and yellow bananas,
endangered species. See
plantains and thyme (one of most popular herbs in Bahamian and indeed,
the boxed text, p89.
Caribbean cooking), tomatoes (crushed and bottled or fresh), Irish po-
tatoes, chunks of cassava, plums, mangoes, a hot variety of chili called
finger pepper, onions, sweet peppers, regular limes and the more tart
key limes.
Roadside shacks also proffer papayas and pineapples. Also look out
for the less well-known but equally enjoyable jujubes, star apples, pigeon
plums, Surinam cherries, sapodillas, or soursops.
Seafood
Conch, crab, grouper, jack, shrimp, snapper, turbot, and tuna are all
daily staples of Bahamian cooking, often cooked with carrot, cassava,
cucumber, grits, guinea corn, okra, plantain, and wild spinach. Lobsters
Bahamas Cookery:
(crawfish) are other favorites, though being pricey they are not as impor-
Cindy’s Treasures by Cindy
tant a staple as you may imagine.
Williams is a great col-
The region’s favorite fish is grouper, a mild-flavored white fish, often
lection of the simple
served poached, grilled, or steamed in a mildly spiced sauce. It’s often
regional delicacies –
eaten as ‘grouper fingers’ – thin, battered strips that are deep fried.
such as moist pineapple
A popular breakfast dish is boil’ fish, a bouillabaisse of grouper boiled
cake and guava duff
with salt pork, onion, potato, and seasonings. It is generally served with
with rum-cream sauce.
grits or johnnycakes. If you want to try a johnnycake recipe, see the
boxed text, p55.
Everybody consumes conch (pronounced ‘conk’); every home, restaur-
ant and roadside takeout has it on the menu. This tough snail-like
mollusk is served pounded, minced, and frittered; marinated and grilled;
raw as a ceviche or conch salad (which is diced with onions, celery,
pepper and cucumber then soaked in lime juice); as a chowder or ‘soused’
(stewed); ‘scorched’ (scored in a salad); and ‘cracked’ (battered and
deep fried).
These days fishermen bemoan the difficulty of finding conch and
grouper; it’s much more difficult than it used to be, and everyone agrees
Check out Nassau
that over-fishing is the culprit.
Memories by Debby Nash.
When it comes to meat, chicken is the most popular. In some places,
Successful Bahamian
you can’t throw a rock without hitting a place that serves fried chicken
restaurants are profiled
and greasy chips. ‘Mutton’ – frequently seen on menus – can be goat or
along with their signature
lamb and is frequently served curried.
dishes as a memento of
The trademark Bahamian dessert is duff or guava duff, a fruit-filled
the Bahamas.
jelly pudding served with sauce made of sugar, egg, butter and rum. It can
be steamed, baked or even boiled. Another yummy favorite is coconut
tart, a thin baked pie with a sweetened shredded coconut filling.
www.lonelyplanet.com F O O D & D R I N K • • D r i n k s 57
Colonial cultural hangovers are often retained on menus in tourist
spots as well as in residential suburbs. Regular dishes include steak and kid-
ney pudding, bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie, while main courses
across the region are served with a choice of coleslaw and macaroni
and cheese. This is not, it must be stated, the same sort of macaroni
and cheese that comes in a box with a foil-lined package of powdered
cheese product. This is the genuine thing, baked in the oven and packed
so tightly that it can be cut into slabs and served in the same style as
Red Cross Cookbook (pub-
lasagne.
lished by the Red Cross)
It is virtually impossible to avoid dishes without some fried ingredient
is a fund raiser sold in the
or carbohydrate. This means that healthy eating is not easy or cheap.
Turks and Caicos. It is a
fabulous collection of the
Turks & Caicos Specialties
whole region’s recipes
As in the Bahamas, conch, lobster, soft-shell crab and fresh fish (often
and a bargain for $10.
blackened with Cajun seasoning) are favorites in Turks and Caicos, along
with spicy Jamaican jerk chicken.
Food in this region is generally a lot healthier and uses more fresh
fruits, such as sapodillas and sugar apples, and vegetables.
A lot of foods are imported from Haiti rather than the US, which may
help to make healthy eating more affordable than in the Bahamas.
The cooking is also more sophisticated; there’s less fried-food and it
has distinctive French influences.
DRINKS
The Bahamian beer Kalik is fantastic; golden bubbles and a sharp flavor.
The national Bahamian cocktail could be the Goombay Smash, a lethally
easy-to-drink fruit juice and rum cocktail (see also the boxed text, p171),
Many restaurants in the
although the Bahama Mama is probably one of the better known rum
Bahamas and Turks and
cocktails, with a coffee liqueur thrown in for good measure.
Caicos serve the old colo-
The infamous rum that bottoms up local cocktails is simply called
nial favorites of ‘bangers
151, as it is 151% proof. There is an excellent range of duty-free quality
and mash’ and ‘steak and
rums available in Nassau, including the Bacardi line, which can also be
kidney pudding’?
bought at their factory on New Providence (see p99). Flavored rums are
also popular and include coconut, banana, mango and pineapple rum,
and the best local brand for these is Ricardo.
Wine is widely sold, but costly. Be aware that some bottles will have
been exposed to the heat. Wine connoisseurs should head to Graycliff in
Nassau; its owner, Enrico Garzaroli, claims the largest wine collection in
the Caribbean, with some rare vintages offered at over $10,000.
BAHAMA MAMA
Here are the makings of a classic Bahamian cocktail.
! ½ fl oz (15ml) dark rum
! ½ fl oz (15ml) coconut liqueur
! ¼ fl oz (8ml) 151%-proof rum
! ¼ fl oz (8ml) coffee liqueur
! ½ lemon, juice
! 4 fl oz (120ml) pineapple juice
Combine the ingredients and pour over ice. Garnish with a cherry.
Skol! Slàinte! Cheers!
 58 F O O D & D R I N K • • C e l e b r a t i o n s www.lonelyplanet.com
BAHAMAS & TURKS & CAICOS TOP FIVE
! Club Caribe (Churchill Beach, Grand Bahama, p114) Sit on the deck and look out over the wide, blue
ocean. Bahamians gather here for great peppery fish salads, chilled cocktails and live music.
! Chez Pierre Bahamas (Simms Beach, Long Island; p225) Fall asleep following a delicious pasta din-
ner in your wooden hut on stilts overlooking the sea and deserted beach.
! Chat n Chill Bar & Grill (Stocking Island; Exumas; p200) Specializing in Island Daiquiris and
yummy grilled barbecues; call for a pick-up from George Town dock, and rejoice in the
perfect beach bar!
! Tiki Hut (Providenciales, Caicos; p248) A good place for breakfast, but an even better place for
Wednesday night’s $10 barbecue; a 13-year tradition that packs out the place.
! Grace’s Cottage (Providenciales, Caicos; p249) Dine under the stars in a garden sprinkled with
flowering shrubs, where chocolate soufflé is always on the menu and the white linen is
always crisp.
More people drink wine informally in the Turks and Caicos than in the
Bahamas, and the local brew is a full-flavored Turks Head beer. There is
also some delicious rum on the market, such as the black and spicy Gos-
ling, which makes potent cocktails.
CELEBRATIONS
West Indian families are usually enormous and widely dispersed. Despite
the distance, families remain incredibly close and when the whole crew
The wonderful woman
gets together every few years, it is a major production that usually takes
who invented the
place over several days. These reunions often happen during events such
Goombay Smash cocktail
as island regattas, sporting competitions and Christmas. Needless to say,
was a teetotaler.
the familiar recipes are popular at these reunions, with families sitting
down to souse and ‘boil’ fish, myriad conch dishes and the winning
favorite; fried chicken with peas ’n’ rice.
Throughout the predominantly Christian Caribbean, Christmas is the
most important culinary celebration of the year, followed closely by New
Year’s Eve – often celebrated with parties in which the centerpiece may
well be a roasting pig. In fact, in many places, celebrating and feasting
stretches from Christmas Eve through to New Year’s Day.
And then there’s Junkanoo, a celebration in which the entire Bahamian
population heads out into the streets for a huge, nonstop party.
WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
There’s a full gamut of restaurant types, from funky seafood shacks and
burger joints to ritzy restaurants with candelabras. Restaurants range
from wildly expensive (the norm) to humble roadside stands where you
can eat simple Bahamian fare from $6. Small hole-in-the-wall restaurants
You can buy a rum
often serve fabulous local food; don’t be put off by their often basic
so flammable that it
appearance.
has been banned
Larger resorts have a choice of restaurants, with one always serving
from aircraft.
buffets. The ultradeluxe hotels have restaurants that are among the best
on the islands, but they can’t replicate the taste and atmosphere of small,
locally run eateries.
Some all-inclusive resorts that are otherwise only for guests sell evening
passes that allow you to eat and drink in their restaurants, bars, and
nightclubs for a single fee. Hotels may also offer bargain-priced ‘Dine-
Around’ programs, sometimes included in the hotel rate.
www.lonelyplanet.com F O O D & D R I N K • • Ve g e t a r i a n s & Ve g a n s 59
Many of the restaurants geared to the tourist trade are overpriced. Gro-
ceries are also expensive; canned and packaged goods are imported and
cost up to three times what you might pay at home.
Most settlements have either a makeshift market – where fishermen
filet and sell their fresh catches of dolphin (the fish), grouper, conch, and
lobster (in season) – or a cache in someone’s home. With the exception How do you imbibe this
wonderful liquor using
of Nassau, it’s often difficult to find fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices at
other means than a
markets and roadside stalls.
glass? Cooking with
Caribbean Rum by
Quick Eats
Laurel-Ann Morley
Bahamians have taken to processed snack foods in a massive way, and
has the answers.
even the most faraway location is sure to have a local shack selling
snacks, from candy bars to cookies and other packaged snack foods.
Nassau and Freeport also have dozens of name-brand fast-food outlets
in their midst.
Beware! Very few food outlets open on Sundays outside of tourist
centers.
VEGETARIANS & VEGANS
There’s no easy way to say this, but vegetarians will find it tough going
in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, while vegans will find the only
way to eat is by buying their own groceries.
The concept of not eating meat or animal products is understood but
too rarely experienced to be catered for; nevertheless, there is normally
at least one vegetarian dish on a restaurant menu. Off the main islands,
dairy foods are the most accessible form of protein and can be eaten with
restaurant-staple side dishes of peas ’n’ rice, macaroni cheese, plantains
and coleslaw.
www.swagga.com
With so many hotel rooms now fitted with fridges it is possible to
/drinks.htm is the virtual
keep a stock of fruit and vegetables (when you can find them!) to bal-
doorway to a teetotaler’s
ance the diet a bit.
Caribbean paradise. Learn
All supermarkets stock a range of tinned beans and seeds, while the
how to make everything
main islands’ supermarkets in the Turks and Caicos also stock some soy
from seamoss drinks to
meals and tofu.
soursop punch.
EATING WITH KIDS
Generally all the island communities are very family oriented, and this in-
cludes restaurants and cafés. However, you will rarely see islanders’ children
out for late dinner, and if you do, they are very well-behaved and do not
freely run around.
Let the cooks know if you don’t want any sauces on your children’s
food. Islanders love very hot pepper and chili sauces as well as lime juice
on their food. This may cause you a few pangs, and test your little ones’
DOS & DON’TS
! Do tip 15% with a smile at all restaurants and bars.
! Do stand in line or wait your turn to be served.
! Do take a small gift when dining at someone’s home.
! Don’t smoke indoors at restaurants.
! Don’t take children to bars.
! Don’t assume drinking alcohol is the norm, many islanders are teetotalers.
© Lonely Planet Publications
60 F O O D & D R I N K • • H a b i t s & C u s t o m s www.lonelyplanet.com

delicate systems. Also, be aware that conch salads are normally made
with raw mollusk.

HABITS & CUSTOMS

The cultural habits of the English and North Americans are similar
to those of the Bahamians, and Turks and Caicos Islanders; many
travelers will find their eating and drinking customs easily translate
to this region. Most people eat three meals a day, and many workers
buy takeouts from roadside stalls for picnic lunches. Courtesy is very
important across the islands, as is respect for those serving in eateries
and bars.

© Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
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the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’
 © Lonely Planet Publications
61

Bahamas

DENNIS JOHNSON
NEW PROVIDENCE 62 www.lonelyplanet.com
National Parks
New Providence
Harrold and Wilson Ponds are perfect for a
spot of hiking or bird-watching, with over
a hundred listed bird species including
herons, egrets and cormorants to be viewed
here.
The Retreat (p74) is tucked away in the
center of Nassau, and has a vast collection of
Most visitors to New Providence stay within the heady triangle of charming, colonial down- palms and tropical plants plus the Bahamas
town Nassau, Cable Beach’s fun-filled beachside resorts, and the all-pervasive excitement of National Trust (BNT; p74). Enjoy a stroll
the Atlantis water and casino complex on adjoining Paradise Island. Nassau is so geared to through the garden’s 11 acres and collect
the tourist that the ‘real’ island takes some seeking out. Yet it lies close at hand.
some detailed information on regional sites
of interest.
The narrow streets of downtown Nassau spill over with busy residents, hedonistic holiday- Bird-watchers should head for the re-
serves of Paradise Island, Cable Beach Golf
makers and shopping cruise-ship passengers. By strolling down to Potter’s Cay when fishing
Course, the caves, Lakeview, Red Sound,
boats return laden with glistening fish, you can experience an aspect of Bahamian life that Twin Lakes, Westward Villas, Lake Cun-
hasn't changed much since the 1800s. Or to enjoy a real Bahamian community experience, ningham, Waterloo, Adelaide Creek, Gould-
attend an exuberant church service or wander amid the goombay dancers and the bustle ing Cay, Prospect Ridge, Waterworks and
of Arawak Cay, where multicolored shacks sell beer and hot, crispy pieces of fried fish. Quiet Skyline Heights. For the details on where
to find these and other Wild Bird Reserves
communities and fishing villages dot the coastline, where friendly artists display their vivid contact the Department of Agriculture (%242-
wares and Bahamians chat while children play on undisturbed beaches after school. 325-7413; fax 242-325-3960; Levy Bldg, E Bay St, Nassau,
New Providence).
Most of the interior of the island is marshy, with large lakes and dense scrub forest, but it Other national parks are listed on p39.
is enjoyed by bird-watchers. Here, serene Lake Nancy is edged by grandiose homes that are
only outshone by billionaires’ dwellings in the secured settlements on the western coast. Getting There & Away
Most travelers to New Providence and the
Two-thirds of the nation’s population live on this 21 mile-long isle, mostly within Nassau. Bahamas fly into Nassau International
Although the turquoise seas and white, sugar-soft sands of Cable and Cabbage Beaches are Airport, which lies 8 miles west of town.
renowned, other idyllic spots include uninhabited cays, perfect for day trips. Locals relish the
Others arrive at Nassau’s Prince George
Wharf on international cruise ships or on
pretty western and southern beaches, where the snorkeling and diving are superb. private boats.
Getting Around
You can easily navigate your way around
HIGHLIGHTS downtown Nassau and Cable Beach by
! Shop till you drop at the duty-free shops along lively Nassau's Bay St (p95) and around foot. They are joined by a regular stream of
Rawson Sq (p72), brimming with historic buildings and bustle jitney buses (private minibuses), which also
run around the island, making exploration
! Head for Paradise Island to visit Atlantis’ (p78) incredible waterpark and aquarium,
pretty easy.
and then sunbathe and people-watch on the stunning white sands of adjacent
Pedestrians can either take the regular
Cabbage Beach (p79)
ferries between Prince George Wharf and
! Sip a golden Kalik (locally brewed beer) and dance to the drums Underwater Paradise Island or walk across the Paradise
Reefs & Cays
of Junkanoo’s (p83) midsummer or Boxing Day carnival Paradise Island bridges to or from downtown. Keep
Island
! Take an exhilarating powerboat adventure (p80) in mind that there is a walk of almost a
to the idyllic Exuma Cays or the pink sands of Nassau mile from the bridges into Nassau’s tourism
Eleuthera center.
Car-rental agencies are located at the air-
! Explore the underwater reefs and cays off
the southwestern and northern beaches
port and in all tourism areas, as are scooter-
Underwater hire operators.
(p79) and meet some neon-colored fish Reefs & Cays
There are tons of tourism and dive
operators who visit surrounding cays and
! TELEPHONE CODE: 242 ! POPULATION: 228,329 ! AREA: 80 SQ MILES
other Bahamian islands, as do mail boats
and Bahamas Ferries services.
N A S S AU • • H i s t o r y 63
NEW PROVIDENCE
NASSAU
pop 227,936
Modern Nassau is not such a far cry from
the rowdy town that once harbored pirates,
stockade runners and prohibition-avoiding
party crowds. It's still a lively place fueled
by commerce and rum, but more legitimate.
The small, historic downtown core is a
charming mix of narrow streets, grand sugar-
pink neocolonial government buildings, and
old wooden and limestone buildings, which
are dignified in their faded grandeur.
But downtown is more than a pretty
snapshot. It is also a hub of commerce and
government, policed by immaculately dres-
sed and starched police officers. Bankers
in pinstriped shirts dodge between tourists
to reach a myriad of international banks,
intent on manipulating billions of dollars to
make the wealthy wealthier in this offshore
banking haven.
The waterfront and Bay St shops (the
heart of downtown) are packed with tax-
free sparkling emeralds, spiced rums and
elegant silk clothing. Here cafés serve chat-
tering tourists fueled by multicolored cock-
tails, while vast cruise liners loom nearby,
disgorging their hordes which swamp
Nassau’s identity, but also her cash registers.
Jitney buses run constantly to the soft
sands of Cable Beach and adjacent hotels
while taxis honk for those heading to Paradise
Island. Here the concrete cladding of ritzy
resorts covers the land and almost dwarfs the
snowy-white sands of Cabbage Beach.
Low-income and middle-class residential
suburbs extend inland for miles. Government
ministries, modern shopping malls and
colleges all lie south of downtown, along
with Over-the-Hill, which is bordered by
East St and Blue Hill Rd to the east and west,
and Prospect Ridge and Blue Hill Heights to
the north and south. This African-Bahamian
enclave contains both colorful family homes
and an edgier and messier picture of Nassau’s
less affluent and contented residents.
HISTORY
The island’s colorful early history is steeped
in rum-running and roguery. Nassau (ini-
tially known as Charles Town) was estab-
lished in 1666, her dirt streets pounded by
pirates and wreckers, and lined with brothels
NEW PROVIDENCE 64 N A S S AU • • H i s t o r y www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N A S S AU • • O r i e n t a t i o n 65

NEW PROVIDENCE
NEW PROVIDENCE 0
0 2 miles
4 km

A B C D E F G H
INFORMATION Happy Trail Stables.............................9 C4 SLEEPING
BaTelCo..............................................1 E2 Her Majesty’s Prison........................10 G3 Compass Point Inn...........................16 C2
Lyford Cay Hospital............................2 B3 Nassau Scuba Centre........................11 C4 Orange Hill Beach Inn......................17 D2
1 Police..................................................3 F3 Royal Bahamas Defence Force Base..12 C4 Sun Fun Resort and Pisces Restaurant & Northeast Providence Channel 1
Police Station.....................................4 C2 St Anne's Anglican Church...............13 G3 Lounge........................................18 D2
Post Office.........................................5 G3 St Augustine's Monastery..............(see 13)
Public Library...................................(see 5) Stingray City Marine Park.................14 H1 EATING
United Book Shop..........................(see 21) Stuart’s Cove Dive & Snorkel Avery’s Restaurant & Bar................. 19 C4 See Paradise Island Salt Cay 14
Long Map (p77)
Bahamas.......................................15 B4 Blue
Cay Lagoon
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES See Nassau Map
Bacardi Rum Factory..........................6 D4 See Cable (pp66–7)
Discovery Paradise
Blackbeard’s Tower............................7 H2 Beach Map
Island (p76) Crystal Cay Island
Commonwealth Brewery....................8 B4 Delaport 25º05'N
Saunders Arawak Nassau Sun Cay
Dolphin Encounters........................(see 14) Point Cay
Sandyport Beach Harbour
Freedom Park.................................(see 13) Gambier Bay Goodman’s W Bay
Bay St Potter’s
Sea Deep Reef Cable Cay
Gardens W 24
Orange Hill Ba Beach Athol I
y

t
St Nassau

au S
2 Beach 2
18

East St
Love 16

St
Nass
Gambier The Caves
Beach

Blake

Rd
key
Northwest Point Village John F Ken 1 Montagu Great Bahama Bank
n edy Lake Bay

ge
Tropical
Garden Rd

Mac
17 Lake Dr

Rd
Cunningham Wulff

lla
4 Nancy Rd

Vi
Old Fort Point
Lost Ocean

Faith
20 7 Hole
Old Fort Oakes Field
Beach ld Rd Airfield 21 Easte
rn R

Ave
3
Windsor Fie Robinson RdDr Be 5 d
ce Prin rna
Lake Harrold 22 enden ce rd Fox
Killarney Rd Indep Ch Rd Hill East End
Rd arle
n Blue Hill Heights s A 13 Point
r v
Lyford Cay ste e

Gladstone Rd
W
e Harrold Soldier Rd
Dropoff Pond 23
Lyford Nassau International East End

Blvd
Cay r Wilson Lighthouse
3 ay D 2 Airport Rd Pond 3
dC Trail

Rd
yfor Mt Pleasant

East St
Fire

rse
Rd
WWII Golf L 10 Culbert’s Bay
Rd

Cou

Hill
Course Yamacraw Hill Yamacraw

Blue Hill
Bomber
Goulding Beach

Fox
Clifton rn Rd

Golf
Cay
Coral Harbour Rd

Point Weste l R
d
hae
Willaurie mic
Car

S B
Wreck S
South Ocean Ocea

ea
Golf Course nR Carmichael
d Dr

ch
Never Say Adelaide Village our
Rd

Never Again 8 est Rd Harb

Lazad

Rd
Bacardi Rd
Wreck thw Pen
Sou Adelaide Rd Cow

R
retto
25º00'N South
15 Adelaide Beach
South 19 Corry SHOPPING
Beach 9
Ocean Sound Bonneville Bones............................(see 21)
Beach Bonefish Brass & Leather Shops....................(see 21)
4 Southwest Millars Great Bahama Bank 4
Sound 6 Pond Mall at Marathon.............................21 G3
Bay Coral
20,000 Harbour Towne Centre Mall...........................22 F3
11 77º20'W
Leagues
12
Ranfurly Dr ENTERTAINMENT TRANSPORT
Tongue of the Ocean Galleria Cinema 11.........................(see 21) Gas Station.......................................23 F3
Galleria Cinemas 6............................20 E2 Gas Station.......................................24 E2
77º30'W 77º25'W

and taverns for ‘common cheats, thieves, land was surveyed, and tidy new streets By the late 18th century Nassau had ORIENTATION
and lewd persons.’ Fed up with relentless were laid. settled into a slow-paced, glamorous era Historic downtown Nassau is 10 blocks long
attacks by Charles Town’s pirates on their The American Revolution boosted the in which the well-to-do lived graciously and four blocks wide and faces north toward
ships, the Spaniards attacked the town in city’s fortunes, as citizens took to running and were serviced by slaves who resided Paradise Island and Nassau Harbour. The
1684, followed by an assault by a combined the English blockade and a flood of entre- in Over-the-Hill shanties. Following the town rises south to Prospect Ridge, a steep
Spanish and French force in 1703, which preneurial loyalist refugees arrived. In 1787 abolition of the slave trade by the Brits in limestone scarp that parallels the entire
didn’t help the city’s development much the haughty and inept Earl of Dunmore 1807, numerous public edifices and sites, north shore about a half-mile inland. A
either. arrived as governor of the Bahamas, despite such as the Queen’s Staircase, were con- second, higher ridge – Blue Hill Heights –
Fifteen years later the pirates were ousted disgracing himself in the posts of governor structed using the manual labor of former rises to 120ft and runs east–west along
by the British but by the middle of the 18th of New York and Virginia and being accused slaves. Nassau’s southern border, 3 miles inland.
century Nassau still simply consisted of a of a reprehensible private life. Dunmore’s The American Civil War and Prohibition The major residential areas lie between the
church, jail, courthouse plus an Assembly legacy is evident today in several fine further enhanced Nassau’s fortunes; many ridges.
House on Bay St. In the 1760s Governor buildings. These include Fort Charlotte fine hotels and homes were erected on the The main thoroughfare through town
William Shirley, who had been a governor (p75) and Fort Fincastle (p73). The governor proceeds from blockade- and rum-running. is Bay St, which runs east to the Paradise
of Massachusetts, brought a Yankee sense was saved from the axe for his extravagance The ‘winter season’ of visiting socialites set Island Exit Bridge; beyond, it follows the
of order and ingenuity to help create a and stupidity by the outbreak of Britain’s the pattern for the Bahamian peak tourism windward shore as Eastern Rd. West of
real city. The swamps were drained, the war with France in 1793. season. downtown, Bay St becomes W Bay St, and
NEW PROVIDENCE 66 N A S S AU • • O r i e n t a t i o n www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N A S S AU • • I n f o r m a t i o n 67

NEW PROVIDENCE
runs to Cable Beach. From here, continue downtown is Shirley St, which runs from Paradise Island to New Providence. Both INFORMATION
on this road (which changes names several Eastern Rd. bridges have pedestrian walkways. Bookstores
times) to complete a loop of the island Paradise Island is 4 miles long and a See p96 for information on getting to/ Several stores on Bay St stock a wide range
via Lyford Cay, Adelaide and Carmichael half-mile wide, tapering to the west. It is from the airport. of magazines, newspapers and books.
Village. At Fox Hill join Eastern Rd to get divided in two by a narrow man-made Island Shop (Map p69; %242-322-4183; fax 242-
back into town. waterway linking Nassau Harbour to the Maps 322-8470; 2nd fl, cnr Bay & Frederick Sts, Nassau) Sells
Downtown, Bay St is one-way, from west Atlantis marina. Two road bridges (one to Stores and hotels have the free tourist Baha- a good collection of Bahamian literature, maps, nautical
to east. The main westbound thoroughfare enter and the other to exit the island) link mas Trailblazer Map and Super Map. handbooks and Lonely Planet guides.

NASSAU 0
0 0.5 miles
1 km

A B C D E F G H
INFORMATION Police Station......................................9 B3 Bahamas Ferries................................13 F3 Fort Montagu...................................18 H3 SLEEPING DRINKING
Canadian Embassy............................. 1 G4 Police Station...................................10 G3 Bahamas National Trust..................(see 24) Hartley's Undersea Walk................(see 22) Dillet's Guest House..........................28 B3 Cappucino Café................................40 F4
College of The Bahamas Library.........2 C5 Princess Margaret Hospital................11 E3 Clifford Park...................................(see 32) Mail Boats........................................19 G3 Nassau Harbour Club.......................29 H3 Crocodile's Waterfront Bar & Grill.....41 F3
1 DHL Worldwide Express.....................3 G3 United Book Shop & Stationers......(see 50) Collins House....................................14 E3 Montagu Ramp............................... 20 H4 Orchard Hotel Apartments............... 30 H4 Deep Creek....................................(see 34) 1
Doctor's Hospital................................4 E3 Dundas Centre for the Performing Nassau Botanical Garden..................21 B3 Red Carpet Inn.................................31 H3 Hammerhead Bar & Grill...................42 F3
Federal Express...................................5 A5 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Arts..............................................15 F4 Nassau Yacht Haven........................22 G3
Federal Express...................................6 H3 Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation East Bay Marina...............................16 G3 Potter’s Cay Market.........................23 G3 EATING ENTERTAINMENT
Police..................................................7 F3 Park..............................................12 B3 Eastern Cemetery...........................(see 26) Powerboat Adventures...................(see 29) Conch & Steakhouse......................(see 34) 601 Club...........................................43 E3
Police..................................................8 F5 Bahama Divers...............................(see 22) Fort Charlotte...................................17 B3 Retreat.............................................24 H4 Cricket Club Restaurant & Pub.........32 B3 Club Waterloo................................. 44 H3
St Agnes Anglican Church................ 25 D4 Double Dragon................................33 G3 Cocktail & Dreams Nightclub............45 B2
St Matthew's Church........................26 F3 Fish Fry.............................................34 B3 Insomnia..........................................46 A3
Shipwreck
Cay Crystal Cay Seaworld Explorer.............................27 E3 Gaylord's..........................................35 E3 National Centre for the Performing
Paradise Island Colonial Beach Goldies Restaurant.........................(see 34) Arts.............................................. 47 G3
Lighthouse Montague Gardens..........................36 H3 Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.........48 C5
New Big 10 Seafood Haven............(see 34) Zoo..................................................49 A3
Paradise Beach
Pink Pearl Café.................................37 G3
Atlantis 38 C5
Same Ole Place................................ SHOPPING
2 Paradise Island Sun And…....................................... 39 H4 Aitken Paradise Island50 F4 2
o DrGallery...................................
Arawak Cay
Nassau Harbour Twin Brothers Seafood & Steak asin
CBahamas Rum Cake shop..................51 E3
House........................................(see 34) Cody's Music & Video Centre...........52 F3
Doongalik
Parad Studios............................53 H4
ise Is
Green Lizard..................................(see 16)
land
Dr
Nassau Art Gallery............................(see 3)
Saunders
To Cable Beach 45
Beach W Bay 34 9 TRANSPORT
(0.6mi) St Beach See Paradise Island
54 Map (p77) Gas Station.......................................54 B3
Gas Station...................................... 55 G5
m Rd

46
49 32 27 Orange Creek Rentals......................56 A3
Bay St
Chippingha

56 10
23
17 13
Dr

43
Rd

41 19 Potter’s
St Albans

21 Shirley St 35 51 7 Nassau Harbour

Market St

3 Cay 3
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12 16
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14
52

East St
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26
Blue Hi

29
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4 42 E Bay 22
Prospect 11 3 St
Ridge 18
33
See Downtown Nassau 37 6
Columbus Ave

28
Providence Ave
Dunmore Ave

Map (p69) 47 31
Shir
ley 44

s Ave
St 36
Lake
25

Collin
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Over-the-Hill

Kemp Rd
Sears
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Boyd Rd Rosetta Lakeview Dr 20
St 53
Meado 39
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Big Pond To South To South
Beach Beach
NEW PROVIDENCE 68 N A S S AU • • I n f o r m a t i o n www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N A S S AU • • D o w n t o w n N a s s a u 69

NEW PROVIDENCE
NASSAU IN…
DOWNTOWN NASSAU 0
0 0.2 miles
400 m

A B C D
Two days
INFORMATION Junkanoo Expo.................................(see 3) DRINKING
Start your day with a Bahamian breakfast at Café Skan’s (p88) followed by a stroll through historic ATM.................................................. 1 C5 Masonic Temple............................... 35 C5 Dockside Sports Bar & Grill...............68 C5
downtown, past the huge floating cities docked in port, and the Pompey Museum (p72) before ATM..............................................(see 13) Ministry of Foreign Affairs................ 36 C6 Drop-Off.........................................69 D5
1 Bahamas Internet Café....................... 2 D5 National Art Gallery of the Rumours..........................................70 C5
jumping on a jitney bus (private minibus; p97) to explore the island. Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Bahamas....................................(see 27)
Then laze on Cable Beach (p75), sipping a rum cocktail at sunset before relaxing into the Information Booth.........................3 D4 Pirates of Nassau Museum................37 B5 ENTERTAINMENT
BaTelCo............................................. 4 D5 Pompey Museum.............................38 B5 Blue Note Club...............................(see 48)
Italian ambience of nearby Capriccio Ristorante (p91) for a creamy pasta. British High Commission.................... 5 D5 Queen Victoria Statue...................... 39 D5 Fluid Lounge & Nightclub.................71 C5
The next day, shop for duty-free goodies along Bay St (p95). Salute the marching flamingos Destinations.......................................6 C5 St Andrews Presbyterian Kirk........... 40 C5
Internet Café......................................7 A5 St Francis Xavier Cathedral............... 41 A5 SHOPPING
and snoozing iguanas of Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Park (p75) before heading off Island Shop....................................(see 67) St Mary’s Church............................. 42 A5 Balmain Antiques & Gallery............(see 80)
to the southwestern beaches (p98) for lunch at Avery’s and a snorkel. Main Post Office................................ 8 C6 Seaworld Explorer Office................. 43 D5 Bay.................................................(see 68)
Police Headquarters........................... 9 D6 Statue of Christopher Columbus.......44 B5 Brass & Leather ...............................72 C5
Treat yourself to fine wine and dining at the Humidor Restaurant (p90), followed by a Cuban Police Station................................... 10 D5 Supreme Court................................ 45 D5 Coin of the Realm............................73 C5
Police Station...................................11 A5 Trinity Methodist Church................. 46 C5 Coles of Nassau...............................74 C5
cigar and the nightspots of Paradise Island (p93). Police Station................................... 12 D5 Water Tower................................... 47 D6 Colombian Emeralds........................75 C5
Public Toilets.................................... 13 D5 Welcome Centre..............................(see 3) Gucci............................................... 76 D5
2 Royal Bank of Canada......................14 C5 John Bull........................................(see 83)
Four days Royal Bank of Canada......................15 C6 SLEEPING Kennedy Gallery...............................77 C5
Scotiabank........................................16 B5 British Colonial Hilton Nassau...........48 B5 Linen Shop.....................................(see 67)
Go scuba diving or have a fun day trip snorkeling (p80) at Rose Island, take a walk around the Scotiabank........................................17 B5 Buena Vista Restaurant & Hotel....... 49 A6 Marlborough Antiques.....................78 B5
leafy Retreat (p74) or Nassau Botanical Garden (p75) and have a look at the vibrant artworks Scotiabank ATM.............................. 18 C5 El Greco...........................................50 A5 Perfume Shop................................(see 67)
US Embassy & Consulate..................19 B5 Grand Central Hotel......................... 51 C5 Philatelic Bureau...............................(see 8)
found in Nassau’s studios and elegant National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (p71). Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant.............52 B5 Pipe of Peace...................................79 C5
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Holiday Inn Junkanoo Beach Hotel...53 A5 Prince George Plaza.......................(see 68)
Bahamas Historical Society Museum..20 D5 Mignon Guest House....................... 54 C5 Pyfroms..........................................(see 75)
One week Balcony House.................................21 C5 Quality Inn....................................... 55 A5 Solomon's Mines..............................80 C5
Central Bank of the Bahamas Annex..22 C5 Towne Hotel....................................56 B5
Add a fast ferry (p80) ride to Eleuthera’s pink-sand beaches, an island adventure (p80) trip to Christ Church Anglican Cathedral.....23 B5 TRANSPORT
the Exuma Cays, a diving or fishing expedition (p79) to the Abacos or Biminis, and some rum- Cumberland House...........................24 B5 EATING Avis..................................................81 B5
Deanery............................................25 B5 Bahamian Kitchen, Restaurant & Bar..57 C5 Bus Stop to Cable Beach & west.......82 B5
tasting at the Bacardi Rum Factory (p99). 3 Devonshire House............................26 B5 Brussels Brasserie..............................58 C5 Buses to Cable Beach & West...........83 C5
Dunmore House...............................27 A5 Café Matisse.................................... 59 D5 Buses to Paradise Islands & East.......84 C5
Fort Fincastle................................... 28 D6 Café Skan’s...................................... 60 C5 Dollar.............................................(see 48)
Government House..........................29 B6 Chez Willie....................................... 61 A5 Ferries to Paradise Island..................85 D4
Graycliff Cigar Co...........................(see 64) Conch Fritters Bar & Grill..................62 B5 Knowles Scooter Rentals..................(see 3)
United Book Shop (Map pp64-5; %242-393-6166; Tech Shop (Map p76; %242-327-0081; W Bay St, Greek Orthodox Church of the Green Shutters Restaurant & Pub..... 63 C6 Water Taxis to Paradise Island......... 86 C4
Mall at Marathon, Robinson & Marathon Rds, Nassau) Cable Beach; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6:30pm Sat, Annunciation................................30 B5 Humidor Restaurant.........................64 B5
Gregory Arch................................... 31 C6 Imperial Cafeteria & Take-Away.......65 B5
A wide selection of children’s books and novels are 11am-4pm Sun) Historical Library & Museum............ 32 D5 Mama Lyddie's Place....................... 66 C6
stocked here. Horse-Drawn Surreys....................... 33 D4 Sbarro’s............................................ 67 C5 85

United Book Shops & Stationers (Map pp66-7; Libraries Jacaranda......................................... 34 C6

%242-322-8597; Palmdale Shopping Centre, Madeira St, The Historical Library & Museum (p73) is Nassau Harbour
Prince George
Wharf
Nassau) Stocks a fairly comprehensive variety of novels. a public library dedicated mostly to works 4 Festival
Place Nassau
of popular fiction. It also houses a small Western Esplanade
3
Harbour
Emergency museum. Beach
Private
Beach 86
Air Sea Rescue Association (%242-325-8864) College of The Bahamas Library (Map pp66-7; To Arawak Cay (0.6mi); 33
To Paradise Island
Ambulance (%242-322-2221, 911) % 242-323-8552; Poinciana Dr, Nassau; h8am-9pm Cable Beach (2mi)
Straw
Woodes Rogers
Walk (Toll Bridge, 1.2mi)

Fire (% 242-302-8404, 911) Mon-Fri plus 9am-5pm Sat Oct-Jun) The largest collection 55 W Bay St
50
Navy
Lion Rd 38
Market
60 1 68 79
70
13
Rawson
43
14 10
Med-Evac (%242-322-2881) of books in Nassau. 53 Cu 11
nningham
La
61
7 48 16 17
Bay St 84
71
18 Square

Frederick St
Police (%242-322-4444, 911; E Hill St) Public library Blue Hill Rd (Map pp64–5; %242-322- Marlboroug 67 51 74 39

St
h St 35 76 69 2

St
78

Dorchester
ia King St 83 75 80 Parliament
Red Cross (%242-323-7370) 1056); Fox Hill (Map pp64-5; %242-324-1458); Mackey St gin

Queen St
73
Vir

Nassau Ct
19 82 Square

Cumberla nd St
65 62

Elizabeth Ave
Charlotte St
37 23 57 58
State Care Medical & Emergency Centre (%242-322-1096) 5 77 12

George St
30

West St
42 81 54 y Pl 4
Trinit 72

Bank
56
(%242-328-5596) hfie
ld
St 26
45
32
59

Media Hea
t 25 24 21 22 46 Shirley St 6 20

La
5

Internet Access Apart from the daily and weekly newspapers Duke St Prince's St

St
41
Augusta St

East St
W Hill St 64 52 40 Royal

Parliament
Bahamas Internet Café (Map p69; %242-325-7458; listed in the boxed text on p271, there are 27 44 Victoria To East End

Hospital La
29 31 63 Gardens Point (3mi)
Bay St, Nassau; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat) two monthly tourist papers, What’s On and 15
34
Cyber Café (Map p77; %242-363-1253; cybercafé3@ Tourist News. These are available free in Delancy St
36 E Hill St
Petticoat La
coralwave.com; Paradise Island Shopping Centre, Paradise hotel lobbies, stores and tourist information 49 8
Prospec
Island; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat) booths. They include feature articles, a cal- t Ridge Sands Rd

FML Web Shop (Map p77; %242-363-2241; Hurricane endar of events, and discount coupons. What- 6 Bennet’s
Scho Hill
ol L
Hole Plaza, Paradise Island; h7am-7:30pm Mon-Sat, to-do: Where to shop, dine, stay, play, in- Meeting St a 28

Glinton St
ll Rd
Dillet Queen’s

Market St
noon-7:30pm Sun) vest is available free at tourist bureaus and St
66
9 Staircase
Blue Hi

Internet Café (Map p69; %242-323-1000; West Bay most hotel lobbies. It has a good shopping Prison
La
47

Hotel, W Bay St, Nassau; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat) section. South St

N
NEW PROVIDENCE 70 N A S S AU • • D a n g e r s & A n n o y a n c e s
Medical Services
Pharmacies exist in all shopping malls, but
mainly keep standard shop hours.
Cable Beach Medical Centre (Map p76; %242-
327-2886; W Bay St, Cable Beach) Outside Sandals Royal
Bahamian.
Doctor’s Hospital (Map pp66-7; %242-322-8411,
242-302 4600; Shirley St at Collins Ave) Privately owned
full-service hospital east of Princess Margaret Hospital;
provides emergency services and acute care.
Princess Margaret Hospital (Map pp66-7; %242-
322-2861; Elizabeth Ave at Sands Rd) This government-
run, full-service hospital is the island’s main facility,
providing emergency services and acute care.
Money
There are plenty of banks clustered around
Rawson Sq and Bay St. ATMs dispensing
US and Bahamian dollars can be easily
found throughout Nassau. The Rawson Sq
branch of Scotiabank has an ATM.
Commonwealth Bank (Map p76; %242-327-8441;
W Bay St, Cable Beach)
Destinations (Map p69; %242-322-2931; 303 Shirley
St, Nassau) Represents American Express.
First Caribbean International Bank (Map p76;
W Bay St, Cable Beach) Opposite Sandals Royal Bahamian.
Royal Bank of Canada Cable Beach (Map p76; %242-
327-6077; W Bay St) Downtown Nassau (Map p69; %242-
322-8700; E Hill St; %242-356-8500; W Bay St)
Scotiabank Cable Beach (Map p76; %242-327-7380;
Cecil Wallace Whitfield Centre, W Bay St); Downtown Nassau
(Map p69; %242-356-1400; Rawson Sq, Nassau) The
Cable Beach branch is opposite Nassau Beach Hotel.
Western Union (Map p76; %242-394-1429;
W Bay St, Cable Beach)
Post
DHL Worldwide Express (Map pp66-7; %242-394-
4040; E Bay St, Nassau)
FedEx (Map pp66-7; %242-322-5656; www.fedex
.com; EE McKay Plaza, Thompson Blvd, Nassau)
Main post office (Map pp66-7; %242-322-3025; E Hill
St at Parliament St, Nassau; h 8:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri,
to 12:30pm Sat)
Telephone
BaTelCo East St (Map pp66-7; %242-323-6414; h7am-
10pm); John F Kennedy Dr (Map pp64-5; %242-323-4911;
h7am-10pm) Has public phone booths for international
calls. The East St branch is a half-block south of Bay St.
Toilets
There are public toilets on Bay St (on the west
side of the Straw Market) and on the north
www.lonelyplanet.com
side of Rawson Sq. Apart from those two,
public toilets are as rare as hen’s teeth. Just
pop in and use the facilities at big hotels as
everyone else does!
Tourist Information
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism information
centers are based at the airport and the
Welcome Centre in downtown Nassau.
Information can also be obtained from
websites listed on p285.
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (Map pp64-5; %242-
377-6806; Nassau International Airport; h 9am-5pm
Mon-Fri) In the arrivals area.
Festival Place (Map p69; %242-323-3182; fax 322
7680; Welcome Centre, Prince George Wharf; h 9am-
5pm Mon-Fri) Open on Saturday and Sunday if cruise ship
is in port.
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Avoid Over-the-Hill at night; this area suffers
from violence. Also use caution by day, as the
area’s down-at-the-heels quality is aggravated
by the presence of ‘Joneses’ (drug users). You
should also avoid walking alone downtown
at night; stick to well-lit main streets.
SIGHTS
Even if you are short on time, it’s worth seeing
Nassau's attractive historical sights, many of
which can be found downtown and around
W Hill St and E Hill St. Art fans should also
head to these locations and to Village Rd for
the galleries, while those itching for sand and
sea should go to Cable Beach, the southern
beaches and Paradise Island. On the way
to Cable Beach, families may want to stop
downtown and west of downtown for fun
museums and some wildlife, but don't miss
Atlantis on Paradise Island!
Downtown Nassau
The heart of downtown Nassau is a compact
and colorful historic area with many well-
preserved 18th- and 19th-century buildings.
Before embarking on a walking tour of
downtown, get yourself a copy of Nassau’s
Historic Buildings by C Sieghbert Russell,
available at the Bahamas Historical Society
Museum (p73).
MARLBOROUGH STREET & W BAY STREET
Much of the north side of Marlborough
St, once occupied by Fort Nassau, is taken
up by the British Colonial Hilton (p86),
www.lonelyplanet.com
fronted by a statue dedicated to Governor
Woodes Rogers, plus a rusty anchor and
cannon. Remnants of the old walls can be
seen on the hotel grounds.
Marlborough St runs east into King
St, which parallels Bay St for two blocks.
The heart of Nassau’s financial affairs is
concentrated between Cumberland and
Market Sts. Several old cut-stone buildings
here are now fine restaurants.
Queen St, which ascends south from
Marlborough St, is lined with fine balconied
colonial homes, particularly Devonshire House
(Map p69). Two blocks east, Cumberland House
(Map p69) and the Deanery (Map p69) are
described as ‘the quintessential trademark of
colonial Bahamian architecture.’
At Marlborough St’s west end, it becomes
Virginia St. Prim 1868 St Mary’s Church (Map
p69) could have fallen out of a postcard
depicting the English countryside. The
junction of Marlborough and West Sts has
several fine old balconied houses.
Nassau has a large Greek community
which is served by the Kurikon, also called
the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
(Map p69). Erected in 1932 the church is
one block south of the Marlborough and
West Sts junction. It’s intimate and beautiful
within, with an exquisite gilt chandelier.
The interactive Pirates of Nassau Museum
(Map p69; % 242-356-3759; pirates@bahamas.net.bs;
King St; adult/child $12/6; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8:30am-
noon Sat) is hugely popular, with life-size re-
creations of pirate life, including a twilit
quayside replete with all the sounds of the
era, and a cutaway of the pirate ship Re-
venge. Beware Blackbeard and his ferocious
Amazon, Anne Bonney! Stop for a break
and drink at the adjacent Pirate’s Pub.
The striking 1753 Christ Church Anglican Ca-
thedral (Map p69; King St) nearby has a splendid
wood-beamed roof, stained glass and pen-
dulous Spanish-style chandeliers. The cur-
rent structure is the fourth version. The
original church was destroyed in 1684 by the
Spaniards. Its successors were leveled during
the French-Spanish invasion in 1703 and by
the ravages of weather and termites.
W & E HILL STREETS
These two streets run parallel to Nassau
Harbour and are joined by Duke St, running
east to west. They’re lined with important
historical buildings, including Jacaranda
N A S S AU • • S i g h t s 71
NEW PROVIDENCE
(Map p69), previously home to the duke
of Windsor.
The 1885 St Francis Xavier Cathedral (Map p69;
cnr W Hill St & West St) has a long, slender nave
topped by a bell tower, illuminated within
at night. Many prominent Protestants of the
time resented the incursion of the Catholics
and ascribed to the hands of God the bolt
of lightning that struck the church during
construction, killing a workman and doing
significant damage.
The huge three-story balconied Dunmore
House (Map p69) was built by the disrep-
utable Lord Dunmore after his arrival as
governor in 1787. This stunning yellow-
and-white mansion now houses the National
Art Gallery of the Bahamas (%242-328-5800; info@
nagb.org.bs; admission adult/child $3/2; h11am-4pm Tue-
Sat). Different exhibitions display a wealth of
Bahamian art that traverses many eras, but it’s
always vibrant. Don’t miss the extraordinary
sculptures in the gardens.
The beautiful Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant
(see the boxed text, p86) was built partly
on the ruins of the oldest church in the
Bahamas, erected in 1694 but destroyed by
the Spaniards in 1703. It became a hostelry
in 1844 and later passed into the hands of
the Earl and Countess of Dudley, whose
guests included Sir Winston Churchill.
Today it is one of the city’s finest hotels
and restaurants, redolent with faded charm,
antiques and original Cuban art.
Two doors down and part of the same
property is Graycliff Cigar Co (Map p69; %242-
322-2795; W Hill St; admission free; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri),
staffed by 20 Cuban cigar rollers under the
tutelage of Avelino Lara, former head of the
El Laguito factory in Havana, and former
personal roller for Fidel Castro. Visitors are
always courteously welcomed.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
The vast cotton-candy pink Georgian struc-
ture commanding the city from atop Mt
Fitzwilliam, just south of W Hill St, is the
official residence (Map p69) of the Bahamas’
governor-general. The original home was
built in 1737 by Governor Fitzwilliam but
was destroyed by a hurricane in 1929. The
current building was completed in 1932,
and the lavish decorations date from the
Duke of Windsor’s time as governor in the
1940s. Visitors can walk the grounds for
a close look at the building, but must be
NEW PROVIDENCE 72 N A S S AU • • S i g h t s
accompanied by the guards. Twice a month,
you can ‘have a cuppa’ with the governor-
general’s wife (contact the Bahamas Min-
istry of Tourism on %242-322-7500 or visit
the website www.bahamas.com) or watch
the changing of the guard. This British
tradition of pomp and ceremony includes
a performance of the Royal Bahamas Police
Force Band, and occurs at 10am twice a
month; call %242-322-2020 to confirm
date and time.
A statue of Christopher Columbus (Map p69)
stands on the steps overlooking Duke St.
It was designed by US writer Washington
Irving, who dressed the 15th-century Genoese
explorer in the garb of Irving’s day.
Gregory Arch (Map p69), a stone arch topped
with iron railings, spans Market St at the
east end of Government House grounds, and
informally delineates downtown Nassau and
Over-the-Hill.
Handsome St Andrews Presbyterian Kirk
(Map p69), below Government House on
Prices and Market Sts, owes its existence to a
loyalist who settled in Nassau at the end of the
American Revolution. In 1798 he established
the St Andrew’s Society, comprising 55 Scots,
to ‘cultivate good understanding and social
intercourse.’ The Freemasons laid the corner-
stone in 1810, and the church has since under-
gone many architectural changes.
East of Gregory Arch is where the Min-
istry of Foreign Affairs (Map p69) is located,
a beautiful pink Georgian edifice fronted
by a cannon. Outside you’ll see a modern
purple sculpture – El Vigía (The Lookout)
– by Mexican sculptor Sebastian. It was a gift
from the Mexican government for the 1992
quincentennial of Columbus’ landing.
BAY STREET
This is the heart of the duty-free shopping
district. Two impressive buildings are the
Royal Bank of Canada (1919) and the 1885
Masonic Temple (Map p69).
The Bahamas’ history is told through
displays at the small Pompey Museum (Map
p69; %242-326-2566; Vendue House; adult/child $5/1;
h9:30am-4:30pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, noon-4pm Sun).
The building was once a slave-auction site,
and the museum is named in memory of
a slave who led a rebellion on Exuma in
1830. The exhibits include artifacts, straw-
work, historical documents, and drawings
tracing events from the Lucayan period (the
www.lonelyplanet.com
Lucayans were a tribe of Arawak Indians who
arrived in the Bahamas near the turn of the
9th century) to the bootlegging era. Upstairs is
a permanent exhibit of vibrant naïf paintings
by noted artist Amos Ferguson.
Life at the west end of Bay St is dominated
by what is said to be the world’s largest Straw
Market. Some 160 vendors set up stalls daily to
sell everything from straw-work to T-shirts,
woodcarvings, shell souvenirs and other
island handicrafts, all decorated with brightly
colored motifs. You can watch craftspeople
whittling wood or weaving straw.
A restored two-story 18th-century mer-
chant’s home, Balcony House (Map p69; %242-
302-2621; Market St; admission by donation; h10am-
4:30pm Mon, Wed & Fri, to 1pm Thu & Sat), a few blocks
off Bay St, was named for its prominent
balcony supported by wooden knee braces.
The original slave kitchen remains, as does
the staircase, taken from a sailing ship. It is
now a local history museum.
RAWSON SQUARE
The heart of town for tourists is Rawson Sq,
on the south side of Bay St. It’s a natural
place to begin a tour of downtown Nassau.
Guided walking tours also begin here (see
p83). Nearby is a life-size bronze statue,
Bahamian Woman, which honors the role
of women during ‘years of adversity.’ She
holds a small child. In the center of the
square is a bust of Sir Milo Butler, the first
governor-general of the independent nation,
and a fountain pool with leaping bronze
dolphins.
PARLIAMENT SQUARE
The area immediately south of Rawson Sq
on Bay St is known as Parliament Sq. On
three sides of the square nestle three pink-
and-white Georgian neoclassical buildings
(1805–1813) that house the offices of
the leader of the opposition (on the left),
the Assembly House (right), and the Senate
(facing Bay St). In their midst sits the 1905
Queen Victoria statue (Map p69), whose
presence reflects still-held allegiances.
You can peek inside the House of As-
sembly to watch proceedings when it’s in
session. Make such arrangements at the
House Office of the Clerk of Courts (% 242-322-
7500). Note its green carpet, symbolizing
the English meadow where King John was
forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215.
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The Senate also has a visitors’ gallery, with
tickets given out free on a first-come, first-
served basis.
Immediately south of Parliament Sq,
between Parliament St and Bank Lane, is
the Supreme Court (Map p69), a Georgian
edifice where bewigged judges perform
their duties.
A few yards further north is the small
Garden of Remembrance, with a cenotaph
(Map p69) honoring Bahamian soldiers
who died in the two world wars. Also note
the plaque to four members of the Royal
Bahamas Defence Force killed in 1980 when
their patrol vessel, Flamingo, was attacked
by Cuban MiGs.
PRINCE GEORGE WHARF
The historic cruise-ship wharf, north of
Rawson Sq and Bay St, is the gateway to
Nassau for 1.4 million visitors a year!
The wharf is fronted by bustling Woodes
Rogers Walk (Map p69), lined with souvenir
stalls, fast-food outlets and a canopied stand
where horse-drawn surreys (Map p69) await
customers. The drivers will take you around
the historical landmarks of the Bay St area.
The rides begin and end at the Welcome
Centre, Woodes Rogers Walk, Prince George
Wharf. A 30-minute ride costs approximately
$10/5 per adult/child. Negotiate a price before
climbing aboard if you want to hire a surrey
for longer, and to avoid jammed streets only
take the rides when the cruise ships are not
in town. Ferries to Paradise Island also leave
from Woodes Rogers Walk.
The old wharfside customs building today
houses the Welcome Centre containing visitor
information, a few pricy craft stalls, as well
as the Junkanoo Expo (Map p69; %242-356-2731;
adult/child $1/0.50; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat &
Sun when cruise liners are in dock), with its decidedly
patchy display of some costumes and para-
phernalia that make up the colorful and high-
spirited street extravaganza of Junkanoo (see
the boxed text, p34).
SHIRLEY STREET
The delightful Trinity Methodist Church (Map
p69), at the west end of Shirley St, was
originally planned for a congregation of
800 people. Alas, the four carpenters sent
from Scotland all succumbed to yellow
fever, and a more modest church was built
in 1861. It had been open only a year when
N A S S AU • • S i g h t s 73
NEW PROVIDENCE
it was blown down by a hurricane. The
current church dates from 1869 and was
significantly repaired following damage in
the 1928 hurricane.
With its old prison cells now crammed
with books and dusty periodicals, the un-
usual octagonal 1790 Historical Library & Mu-
seum (Map p69; %242-322-4907; Parliament & Bank
Lane; admission free; h10am-8pm Mon-Thu, to 5pm Fri,
to 4pm Sat) was originally a jail (the dungeon
still exists below ground). Convicts gave
way to books in 1873. Note the amazing
model of Arethusa, the rum-running scho-
oner of Captain Bill McCoy. A museum
on the 2nd floor, dedicated to the peaceful
Lucayan Indians, has a motley collection of
artifacts, including bones, a few old maps,
engravings, photographs, shells, stamps and
old parchments.
The Bahamas Historical Society Museum (Map
p69; %242-322-4231; Shirley St at Elizabeth Ave; adult/
child $1/0.50; h10am-1pm Mon, to 4pm Tue-Fri, to noon
Sat) has a modest miscellany of artifacts and
documents tracing the islands’ history from
Lucayan times to the contemporary era.
It’s worth the admission merely to admire
the beautiful model of the Spanish galleon
Santa Luceno.
Collins House (Map pp66–7), an attractive
two-story property built in 1929 and later
used as a school, began housing the Ministry
of Education & Culture in 1971.
BENNET’S HILL
At the south end of Elizabeth Ave, a passage
and 90ft-deep gorge in Prospect Ridge lead
to Fort Fincastle and a water tower. The
passageway was cut from solid limestone by
slaves, beginning in the 1790s, with the intent
of constructing a roadway through Prospect
Ridge. Emancipation was proclaimed before
it could be finished.
The Queen’s Staircase (Map p69), also
known as the ‘66 Steps,’ leads up to the tiny
1793 Fort Fincastle (Map p69), built by Lord
Dunmore. Why it was whimsically built in
the shape of a paddle-wheel steamer isn’t
clear. The fort faces east and was intended
to guard ‘all the Town and the Road to the
Eastward.’
The Water Tower (Map p69; %242-322-2442; ad-
mission $0.50; h8am-5pm) behind the fort was
erected in 1928 to maintain water pressure
on the island. It is 126ft tall and provides a
marvelous panoramic view of Nassau. You
NEW PROVIDENCE 74 N A S S AU • • S i g h t s
can walk up the narrow, winding staircase –
there are 216 steps (or take the elevator).
OVER-THE-HILL
This area began as a settlement for free Blacks
and slaves liberated from slave ships after
1807 by the British Navy. After emancipation
in 1834, the area – comprising the villages of
Grants Town and Bains Town and, further
east, Fox Hill – expanded. Most inhabitants
were destitute and lived in squalor.
The historic 1847 Wesley Methodist Church
(Map p69) on Market St and the 1846 St Agnes
Anglican Church (Map pp66–7) on Cockburn
St are both worth a visit. Much caution is
needed in this area and it should be avoided
at night, as drug users and pushers are
unfortunately quite discernible.
East of Downtown
EASTERN CEMETERY
Near the juncture of Bay and Dowdeswell
Sts, this grassy cemetery (Map pp66–7) holds
the remains of pirates and other rascals
executed during the past three centuries.
The tumbledown tombs are above ground.
Behind is the 1802 St Matthew’s Church (Map
pp66–7). The cemetery to the west of the
churchyard also dates back to the 1800s.
POTTER’S CAY
The liveliest market (Map pp66–7) in town
sits beneath the Paradise Island Exit Bridge,
where fishing boats from the Family Islands
arrive daily carrying the sea’s harvest, as
well as fruit, herbs, biting pepper sauces and
vegetables. Piles of glistening conch, crab,
jack, mackerel and spiny lobster are sold
alive, dead, dried or filleted, along with, more
distressingly, dismembered turtles.
Nevertheless it is a great place to hang
out and watch the pandemonium whenever
a boat returns.
The mail boats serving the Family Islands
also berth here.
VILLAGE ROAD
The Retreat (Map pp66-7; % 242-393-1317; fax
242-393-4978; The Retreat, Village Rd; admission $3; h
9am-5pm Mon-Fri) is an 11-acre garden which
claims to have one of the largest private
collections of palms in the world (176 species
representing more than half of all known
genera of palms). The Bahamas National Trust
(Map pp66-7; %242-393-1317; fax 242-393-4978; The
www.lonelyplanet.com
Retreat, Village Rd; admission $3; h 9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
is located here. The star of the show was a
rare and awesome Ceylonese talipot palm
that expended all its energy in 1986 on a
once-in-a-lifetime bloom and then died.
Other specimens include hardwoods such as
mahogany. Native orchids grace the trunks,
and splendid ferns nestle in the limestone
holes in which the palms are planted. Take
a tour or stroll in this peaceful place.
Alongside working artists flaunting their
creative skills, Doongalik Studios (Map pp66-7;
%242-393-6640; www.doongalikstudios.com; 18 Village
Rd; admission free; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) serves as a
gallery for exuberant Bahamian fine art,
Junkanoo crafts, T-shirts and rainbow-hued
furniture. The entrance is guarded by three
larger-than-life statues, and a bush garden
to the rear features native trees and plants.
FORT MONTAGU
There’s not much to draw you to this dim-
inutive fort (Map pp66–7), though the place
is intact and the cannon in situ. The oldest
of Nassau’s remaining strongholds, it was
built in 1741 to guard the eastern approach
to Nassau Harbour. It never fired its cannon
in anger. The surrounding park is enjoyed by
football-playing Bahamians and occasional
market stalls.
EASTERN ROAD
A shoreline park south of Fort Montagu
is lined with palms and casuarina trees.
Nearby Montagu Ramp (Map pp66–7) is
the site where locals bring fish and conch
ashore to clean and sell. You’ll smell it well
before you see it!
Sitting atop the ridge 2 miles south of
Fort Montagu is Blackbeard’s Tower (Map
pp64–5), a semiderelict cut-stone tower
that, according to local lore, was built by
Edward Teach – ‘Blackbeard’ – as a lookout
tower. Historians point out that it was
actually built in the late 18th century, long
after the infamous pirate had been killed.
The view is good but the place isn’t worth
the journey in its own right. To reach it, you
go up an unmarked path next to a green-
and-white house called ‘Tower Leigh,’
400yd south of Fox Hill Rd.
This windward shore is quite scenic to-
wards the East End Lighthouse (Map pp64–5)
at the easternmost point of New Providence.
Just south is Yamacraw Beach (Map pp64–5),
www.lonelyplanet.com
where the road turns west and heads inland
via a middle-class residential area, ending at
Her Majesty’s Prison (Map pp64–5).
FOX HILL
This settlement for freed slaves began life
in the 18th century as Creek Village. During
the 1900s, Robert Sandilands, chief justice
of the Bahamas, bought much of the area
and distributed land grants to Blacks for
£10 or the equivalent in labor. The reci-
pients named their settlement after their
benefactor.
Freedom Park (Map pp64–5), at the junc-
ture of Fox Hill Rd and Bernard Rd, is the
center of town and the setting each year for
Emancipation Day celebrations in the first
week of August.
Other highlights include the 1867 St
Anne’s Anglican Church (Map pp64–5) and the
fortresslike St Augustine’s Monastery (Map pp64-5;
% 242-364-1331; admission by donation), atop a
rocky perch on Bernard Rd. This working
monastery was designed by Father Jerome,
the itinerant architect-cleric who blessed
Cat and Long Islands with beautiful Gothic
churches (see the Father Jerome boxed
text, p211). The imposing building dates
from 1947 and is still used by Benedictine
monks, who give guided tours that offer
a fascinating glimpse of monastic life. A
college run by the monks is attached. Phone
ahead to enquire about opening hours.
West of Downtown
About a half-mile from the British Colonial
Hilton, you’ll see remains of a battery of
cannons on the harborside, immediately
next to the road. A cricket ground, Clifford
Park (Haynes’ Oval; Map pp66–7;), is to the
south; it’s the site of the annual Independence
Day festivities on July 10.
At the entrance to Arawak Cay (Map
pp66–7) is a very lively village of small bars,
and fresh-fish and conch stalls, as well as
Bahamian takeouts housed in multicolored
shacks. Lunchtime fish sales and weekend-
long Fish Frys are high-spirited occasions
worthy of a smoky fritter, chat and rum or two!
Junkanoo ‘shacks’ practise their music and
choreographed dance moves here through-
out the year.
Fort Charlotte (Map pp66-7; % 242-322-7500;
admission free; h8am-4pm), the largest in the
Bahamas, was built between 1787 and 1790
N A S S AU • • S i g h t s 75
NEW PROVIDENCE
to guard the west entrance to Nassau Har-
bour. Sitting on the ridge above Clifford
Park, it is intact and today is painted white.
The deep moat and exterior walls were cut
from solid rock and the walls buttressed
by cedars. Lord Dunmore estimated its
cost as a ‘trifling’ ₤4000 and, to ensure the
approval of the crown, proposed to name it
Charlotte, after the consort of King George
III. Within a year Dunmore had exceeded
all resources. Reluctantly the English War
Office forwarded the extra ₤17,846 required
to complete the fort. Dunmore’s folly was
ill-conceived, with the troops’ barracks
erected directly in the line of fire! Today
its moat, dungeon, underground tunnels and
bombproof chambers make an intriguing
excursion, enhanced by a re-creation of a
torture chamber. Tours are led by guides in
period costume who expect a tip.
Nassau Botanical Garden (Map pp66-7; %242-
323-5975; adult/child $1/0.50; h 8am-4pm Mon-Fri,
9am-4pm Sat & Sun) was constructed in 1951 on
the site of an old rock quarry. The 26 acres
contains more than 600 species of tropical
plants, many indigenous, plus lily ponds,
grottoes and a waterfall fountain donated
by the government of China.
The well-stocked Ardastra Gardens, Zoo &
Conservation Park (Map pp66-7; %242-323-5806;
fax 242-323-7232; Chippingham Rd; adult/child $12/6; h9am-
5pm) has a few placid iguanas and around 50
species of animals, birds and reptiles from
around the world. Indigenous species of
flora and fauna include hutias (similar to
guinea pigs), snakes and the endangered
Bahama parrot, which, uniquely, is bred in
captivity here. The zoo also has a large col-
lection of nonnative species, including mon-
keys and caimans, and sleek cats such as
jaguars and ocelots. The undisputed high-
light, however, is the small army of West In-
dian flamingos trained to strut their stuff on
voice command at 11am, 2pm and 4pm daily
(except Sunday, when they have the day off).
Facilities include a snack bar and toilets.
Cable Beach
A long, curved white-sand beach and sparkling
turquoise sea is linked to downtown Nassau
by a 3-mile long stretch of coastline. The
beach is named for the undersea telegraphic
cable laid from Florida in 1892 that came
ashore here. Cable Beach’s resorts seem to
have derived from the Floridian peninsula
NEW PROVIDENCE 76 N A S S AU • • S i g h t s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N A S S AU • • S i g h t s 77

NEW PROVIDENCE
CABLE BEACH 0
0
1 km
0.5 miles
binge resulted in the creation of the sweeping The first bridge between Paradise Island
35-acre Versailles Gardens (Map p77), stepped and Nassau was built in 1967, followed by a
A B Discovery I C D in tiers and lined with classical statues casino and the arrival of Donald Trump and
INFORMATION
British American Bank.......................(see 8)
Royal Bank of Canada........................6 A2
Scotiabank.........................................7 C2
SLEEPING
Guanahani Village..............................9 C2
depicting the millionaire’s heroes. They span Merv Griffin, who built further resorts.
Cable Beach Medical Centre...............1 B2 Tech Shop........................................(see 1) Nassau Beach Hotel..........................10 C2 the ages: Hercules, Napoleon Bonaparte Billionaire Sol Kerzner’s South African
1
Commonwealth Bank.......................(see 8)
First Caribbean International Bank......2 B2
Western Union...................................8 C2 Radisson Cable Beach & Golf Resort..11
Sandals Royal Bahamian...................12
C2
B2
and Franklin D Roosevelt to name a few. company Sun International, having bought
Police Station.....................................3 C2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Sandyport Beaches Resort................13 A2 Equally wealthy Huntington Hartford II and demolished many competing small and
Post Office.........................................4 B2
Red Cross...........................................5 D3
Nassau Beach Sports Shop..............(see 10)
Rainforest Theatre..........................(see 15)
Westwind II..................................... 14
Wyndham Nassau Resort &
C2
then bought and remodeled the property traditional hotels, now owns most of the
Crystal Palace Casino....................15 C2 as an exclusive golf resort and marina, island in the guise of the vast and expanding
Northeast Providence Channel
Delaport Point
simultaneously persuading the Bahamians Atlantis complex (supposedly the largest
18 Cable Brown’s Point to rename the island ‘Paradise Island.’ At the employer in the Bahamas after the Baha-
Sandyport Bay
13
Beach 12
1 9 To Downtown crest of the gardens is Cloisters, (Map p77), a mian government). The Atlantis project
To Lyford
4 20 14
Nassau (2mi)
romantic gazebo where weddings are often included massive private home development
Cay (7.5mi)
6
W Bay St
17 FCIB 11 Cable held. This genuine 14th-century cloister was for the superrich (Oprah Winfrey and
2 15
2 Banking
Centre 21
19 Beach Goodman’s
Bay purchased by newspaper magnate William Michael Jordan are reputed to have bought
10
8 Randolph Hearst from an Augustine estate homes in the woodlands behind Cabbage
Skyline Dr

16
in France. Beach). A second bridge was built in 1998 to

St
7 y
3 Ba
W

EATING
Radisson Cable Beach
Golf Course PARADISE ISLAND 0
0
600 m
0.4 miles
Café Johnny Canoe..........................16 C2
Dr A B C D
Capriccio Ristorante..........................17 B2 rd
dfo
Coco Bar & Wood Grill.....................18 A2 San
Rd INFORMATION SLEEPING ENTERTAINMENT
Sbarro’s............................................19 C2 Prospect R idge Cyber Café.........................................1 B4 Atlantis Resort & Casino.....................7 B3 Atlantis Resort & Casino...................15 B3
Swiss Pastry Shop.............................20 C2
FML Web Shop................................(see 4) Comfort Suites....................................8 B3 Bahama Mama Mia..........................(see 4)
3 Lake 1 Piranha Club..................................(see 15) Ocean Club........................................9 C3 Dragons Lounge & Dance Club......(see 15)
ENTERTAINMENT John F Kennedy Dr
John Cunningham Police Station......................................2 B4 Paradise Harbour Club & Marina......10 D4 Joker's Wild...................................(see 15)
Crystal Palace Casino.....................(see 15) F K
en 5 Sunshine Paradise Suites..................11 C4 Oasis Lounge.................................(see 20)
King & Knights Club.......................(see 10) ne
dy SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Plato's Lounge...............................(see 15)

Ha
Dr Cloisters...........................................(see 5) EATING

rro
SHOPPING
Excursion Boat Dock.......................(see 21) Blue Marlin.......................................(see 4) SHOPPING
ld
Straw Market...................................21 C2 To Carmichael

Rd
Village (3mi) Flying Cloud Snorkeling Trips.........(see 21) Columbus Tavern Restaurant........... 12 D4 Bahamas Craft Center.......................16 B4
Hurricane Hole Marina.......................3 B4 News Café.......................................(see 4) Havana Humidor............................(see 15)
Hurricane Hole Plaza..........................4 B4 Paradise Supermarket & Deli.............13 B4
Versailles Gardens..............................5 C4 TRANSPORT
as well. Beloved by families seeking simple linked by two great arcing bridges and regular Waterscape........................................6 B3 DRINKING Avis..................................................17 B4
seaside pleasures, the hotels also have bars, ferry services. The whole island appears to be Green Parrot Bar & Grill....................14 B4 Budget..............................................18 B4
Chalk’s Ocean Airways....................19 A4
clubs, casinos and many eateries. man-made; an endless array of ritzy resorts, Club Land’Or....................................20 B3
One mile east of Cable Beach is tiny Saun- stacked cheek to cheek, that loom over the 2 Porkfish Rocks Ferries to/from Nassau.....................21 B4

ders Beach, popular with locals at lunchtime land and line the island’s gorgeous beaches,
(they sit in their cars, munching cracked almost without a pause. Parking is at a Hog Point Northeast Providence Channel
conch). At Delaport Point is the waterfront premium, and the public beaches on Paradise
residential and resort development of Sandy- Island are becoming increasingly difficult to Paradise
Beach
Pirate’s
Cove
port (p87). access, unless you are a guest at the resorts
For a break, you can head out to Discov- or pay out for a ‘day ticket’ (to utilize a
ery Island (Map p76), a small cay – formerly hotel’s facilities). But for those seeking an
Balmoral Island – about a mile offshore from idyllic island holiday with serene seas and
3 Cabbage Beach
Cable Beach. Now leased by the Sandals chain empty beaches, or more of a Bahamian-style Casuarina Dr Paradise
Lake 7
but open to nonguests, it has its own beach, experience, this is not the place for you.

trail
6
an atmospheric restaurant, and a lively bar Yet this Bahamian playground under- Atlantis
sin
o Dr 9

ub Dr
15 Ca

dge Dr
with swim-up pool and Jacuzzi. standably appeals to many who want an easy Paradise Beach Dr

Ocean Cl
8
Free ferries run regularly from Sandals all-inclusive holiday with some sand and sea 20 Parad

Ocean Ri
ise Is

Harbour Dr
Scotiabank (ATM) 1 land
Royal Bahamian (for guests only). Ferries thrown in for good measure. Families, casino- 19 17 Dr Ocean

Ridge Rd
16

ll)
Har 11 Club
also operate from the pier between the lovers and nightclubbers particularly enjoy Ferry (to
ge 21
4
bou
r R Bayview La 5
Golf Course
d
Radisson and Marriott Wyndham Nassau the resorts’ facilities, especially the amazing Cloister
rid

2 18 Dr
14
dB

idge
Resort hotels on a regular basis, charging Waterscape, casino and social amenities of Nassau Harbour 3 13 10
an
Isl

Exit Br

First Caribbean 12
$10 round-trip. Atlantis (p78). 4
ise

Intl Bank
rad

(ATM)
In 1939 Dr Axel Wenner-Gren, a wealthy
Pa

Island

To Downtown
Potter’s Cay
w

Paradise Island Swedish industrialist, developed his ‘Shangri- Nassau; (1.2mi);

Ne

Nassau Harbour
Cable Beach (2.5mi)
Paradise

This island lies almost shouting distance La’ on adjacent ‘Hog Island,’ now the tourist Bay
St To East End
across the harbor from Nassau, to which it is mecca of Paradise Island. His ostentatious Point (2.5mi)
NEW PROVIDENCE 78 N A S S AU • • B e a c h e s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N A S S AU • • A c t i v i t i e s 79

NEW PROVIDENCE
handle the increased traffic and Sol Kerzner’s vacationers through a Plexiglas tube that Paradise Island Equally spectacular is the Valley, a path leads
eye has turned west to Cable Beach, where plummets down through the Predator Cabbage Beach (Map p77) is a stunner that you through a labyrinth of coral and marine
existing resorts tremble with fear. Lagoon full of sharks. The best time to check stretches 2 miles along the north shore, with life to the Tongue of the Ocean, just over
out Waterscape is at feeding times; check plenty of activities and water sports. Several the ridge.
ATLANTIS at reception. Tours depart from the Coral resorts have facilities at the west end. Professional Association of Diving Instruc-
No trip would be complete for families, or Towers Lobby. A new marine park, mini- Pirate’s Cove (Map p77) nestles in its own tors (PADI) certification courses, as well as
even big kids, without a visit to Atlantis’ zoo and dolphin-channel were under con- cove west of Atlantis. It has no facilities. snorkeling trips, equipment hire and hotel
34-acre (and growing) Waterscape (Map p77; struction at the time of research. Another beauty, Paradise Beach (Map p77) transfers, are offered by all the following
%242-363-3000, ext 28; www.atlantis.com; Atlantis Resort; curves gently along the northwest shore of operators.
guided walking tours nonguests $25; htours 9am-5pm). BEACHES the island; it is very lonesome to the west. One of the Bahamas best and largest
It claims to be the world’s largest open-air Downtown Nassau The resorts have their own facilities, but outfits, Stuart Cove’s Dive & Snorkel Bahamas
aquarium and has a whole host of lagoons Western Esplanade Beach (Map p69), on W nonguests pay for privileges. (Map pp64-5; % 242-362-4171; www.stuartcove.com;
and is home to 200 species of marine life. Bay St, is downtown Nassau’s only beach Snorkeler’s Cove Beach (Map p77) lays Southwest Rd) offers a mass of diving, PADI
Sun International remade the Paradise and stretches west from the British Colonial east of Cabbage Beach and is favored by certification and snorkeling choices, inclu-
Island Resort & Casino as the Atlantis Hilton Hotel (which has its own private day-trippers on picnicking and snorkeling ding a bone-rattling shark wall and shark-
at a cost of $850 million (only the initial beach). It has limited attractions and no excursions from Nassau. feeding dive ($135); a two-tank dive trip
expenditure). It now has waterfalls and the facilities, but is within minutes of downtown ($88); and ‘wall-flying’ (a two-tank under-
quarter-mile ‘Lazy River Ride’ for tubing, restaurants and hotels. ACTIVITIES water scooter adventure that is as good as it
plus six exhibit lagoons filled with live Look out for the free monthly What’s On sounds!; $135). Snorkeling trips are available
coral, more than 14,000 fish and heaps of Cable Beach guide, which can be found in most hotel (adult/child $48/24) and you can even pilot
other sea life. It’s best viewed from a 100ft- Saunders Beach is tiny, and sits between lobbies and outside many retail outlets. your own Scenic Underwater Bubble (SUB),
long underwater Plexiglas walkway or from Cable Beach and downtown. Local families The guide details a lot of upcoming events a scooter with air wheels and a giant plastic
other subaqueous tunnels surrounded by head there at weekends, although there are and sporting matches as well as containing bubble that envelops your shoulders and
massive aquariums. no facilities. discount coupons for plenty of tourist head ($135).
The waterscape is centered on The Dig, The most beautiful beach on the main activities. A good bunch of pros, Bahama Divers (Map
a full-size depiction of the ruins of Atlantis, island, Cable Beach (Map p76), is about 2 pp66-7; % 242-393-5644; www.bahamadivers.com;
linked by interconnecting passageways; and miles long and has plenty of water sports Diving & Snorkeling E Bay St, Nassau) has a variety of trips, including
a Mayan temple with six water slides, one and activities. Hotels, restaurants, and bars New Providence offers superb diving close some to the Lost Blue Hole (famous for
of which – the Leap of Faith – sends brave line the beach. to its shores, including fantastic wall and its sharks and schools of stingrays) and
wreck dives. The most noted sites lie off wrecks. A three-hour learn-to-dive course
the southwest coast between Coral Harbour can be taken prior to PADI certification
CONFETTI & SAND and Lyford Cay, as well as north of Paradise courses (PADI course $449). A two-tank
OK, who hasn’t dreamt of mother-in-law- and hassle-free nuptials, where you and your beloved Island. dive trip costs $130 and half-day snorkeling
are alone on an idyllic island beach with a backdrop of astonishing turquoise seas? Where simple At Anchor a coral head pokes out of a trips are also available ($30).
white cotton clothes and a garland of wild flowers mark the occasion, and the pastor blesses wall 60ft below the surface, and teems with Nassau Scuba Centre (%242-362-1964; www.dive
you with a smile and a reasonable invoice? fish life. At School House, another favorite nassau.com; Coral Harbour) is another excellent
The Bahamas is a popular destination for honeymooners, many of whom also tie the knot in snorkeling and diving spot, there are endless outfit. They also offer two-tank dives ($90),
these gorgeous islands. The Bahamians make it easy for nonnationals to meet their requirements, varieties of coral at depths that rarely night dives ($65), trips to the walls and
and it is possible to marry with just a 24-hour wait. exceed 20ft. Fish life ranges from blennies drop-offs and the separate shark-feeding
You can even get married underwater, provided you and your spouse-to-be are certified divers and gobies to schooling yellowtail. dives ($135). And if that is not enough
and can blow the right-sounding bubbles. Maybe you just make the thumb & finger ‘OK’ sign? Divers love the Lost Blue Hole. This vertical for you (eek), try the shark suit adventure
Get out your waterproof mascara and contact Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO; %242- cavern gapes in 30ft of water on a sand bot- ($425). A range of PADI diver and diving
373-1244; www.unexso.com; UNEXSO, Port Lucaya Marina, Freeport) in Grand Bahama. tom is frequented by nurse sharks and instructor training courses are also on offer,
Marriage licenses cost $100 and can be obtained from the Registrar General’s Office (% 242- stingrays. The cave bells out to 200ft and including one that teaches you how to feed
326-5371, 242-328-7810; Rodney E Bain Bldg, Parliament St, Nassau). You’ll need photo identification, proof deeper. There’s a lobster-filled cavern at sharks while wearing a chainmail suit…
of citizenship, proof of status if divorced or widowed, and to swear an oath of eligibility before 80ft. Oasis Wall, a deep dive just off Old Fort
a notary of the Bahamas. No blood test is required. Anyone under 18 years of age requires Beach, is known for reef corals all the way Sportfishing & Boat Charters
notarized parental consent. down to 200ft. There’s plenty of lobster and For general information about sailing and
If you want help with the event, contact the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-302-2034; pelagics too. chartering boats see p273. Nassau is a great
www.bahamas.com), who have a division specifically for all the dewy-eyed romantics out there. It The spectacular dive site, Razorback is base for sportfishing, with superb sites just
can put you in touch with local wedding consultants, photographers and ministers. Most major named for the arcing ridge of coral-covered 20 minutes away. Charters can be arranged
hotels and tour operators can also make arrangements; they usually ask couples to send notarized limestone that rises from a sand bottom at most major hotels or by calling a char-
copies of required documents at least one month in advance. Major resorts also have special before plummeting into the Tongue of ter company. The following recommended
honeymoon packages and can make wedding arrangements at your behest. the Ocean. The reef is a menagerie of fish, companies mainly offer sportfishing, but
and the wall attracts hammerhead sharks. will also happily take you exploring, diving
NEW PROVIDENCE 80 N A S S AU • • A c t i v i t i e s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N A S S AU • • A c t i v i t i e s 81

NEW PROVIDENCE
UNDERWATER EXCURSIONS roomy brass helmet with large glass win-
BLUE LAGOON For those who don’t want to get wet, Seaworld dows for all-around viewing. Trips depart
Several uninhabited cays are sprinkled northeast of New Providence, together with Blue Lagoon Explorer (Map pp66-7; %242-356-2548; shorex@batelnet from Nassau Yacht Haven.
(Map pp64-5) on Salt Cay, which is featured on several day cruises. It’s a 30-minute ride to the .bs; adult/child $22/10) departs from John Alfred
lagoon. Here you can create your own desert-island fantasy. Choose from snorkeling, parasailing, Wharf off Bay St, and has an office in the Water Sports
volleyball or even a dolphin encounter. There are nature walks, changing rooms, restrooms, city. This 45-passenger semisubmarine with Most resort hotels either include water
showers and 250 hammocks slung between palms. Please be aware that the stingrays and dolphins a window-lined hull takes a great 90-minute sports in their rates or offer them as op-
on this island are captive. See the boxed text on opposite. daily excursion above the fish-filled coral tional extras. On offer are nearly every
Not included in your tour price is the Lagoon’s Stingray City Marine Park (Map pp64-5; %242- reefs of the Sea Gardens Marine Park, off kind of beach and water activity, including
363-3333; www.nassaucruisesbahamas.com; admission $55), where you can swim or snorkel in 12ft of the north shore. parasailing, water-skiing and windsurfing.
water with captive rays. Hartley’s Undersea Walk (Map pp66-7; %242- Nassau Beach Sports Shop (Map p76; %242-
The movies Zeus & Roxanne, Splash and Flipper were filmed at this 2-sq-mile private cay and 393-8234/7569; www.underseawalk.com; adult $125) is a 327-7711, ext 6590; Nassau Beach Hotel, W Bay St, Cable
featured the aquatic dolphin stars Jake, MacGyver and Fatman. daily 3½-hour cruise that includes an es- Beach; h9am-5pm) rents sailboards for $20 per
You can take a half-day trip to Blue Lagoon with Dolphin Encounters (Map pp64-5; %242-363- corted undersea adventure; you don’t need hour, and has equipment for a plethora of
1003; www.dolphinencounters.com; Blue Lagoon Island) from Paradise Island. The choices include either a snorkeling or diving experience to wear a other sports.
30-minute swim ($165) or a waist-deep standing encounter ($85) with these captive mammals.
These hugely popular trips depart the ferry terminal four times daily from the base of Paradise
Island Exit Bridge. ARE DOLPHIN ENCOUNTERS KILLING DOLPHINS?
A full-day excursion to Blue Lagoon with Nassau Cruises (%242-363-3333; www.nassaucruises Dolphin encounters are a popular attraction in the Bahamas and elsewhere, but they are not
bahamas.com) costs $65, and includes hotel transfers, unlimited water sports and lunch. without controversy. Many scientists and conservation groups maintain that dolphin encounters
harm the very creatures that we are all so enamored with. It appears that it is not so much the
encounter, but the location and context of the meeting that can do so much damage to these
and snorkeling. They charge two to six peo- Powerboat Adventures (Map pp66-7; % 242- graceful, playful and ultimately, wild animals.
ple from $400 to $500 per half-day, $700 to 393-7116; www.powerboatadventures.com; Nassau; adult/ One thing is clear: dolphin encounters that take place within enclosed environments such as
$1000 per day. child $190/130) take you on a thrilling power- pools and lagoons mean that those dolphins have been taken traumatically from their environ-
Born Free Charter Service (%242-393-4144; www boat trip which zips you from Nassau to ment, their family pod and a natural way of life.
.bornfreefishing.com) the Exuma Cays in an hour. The first stop The US National Marine Fisheries Service has kept an inventory of captive marine mammals
Brown’s Charter (%242-324-2061; www.browns is Allan’s Cays to say hi to some iguana since 1972, which reports the births, deaths and migrations of each creature. In 2004 the South
charter.com) families, then it is time for drift snorkeling, Florida Sun Sentinel (see below) ran a series of articles analyzing these figures. The conclusion: that
Chubasco Charters (% 242-324-3474; www.chubasco before heading to Ship Channel Cay for a captivity considerably shortens the life expectancy of dolphins, whales and sea lions.
charters.com) nature hike. The excursion also includes The following figures from different sources are believed to be a pretty accurate reflection of
Coral Reef Boat Rentals (%242-327-2098; Sandy shark feeding, snorkeling with stingrays, a the effects of captivity upon dolphins.
Port) Rents out small speedboats from $250/400 per barbecue lunch and plenty of rum swizzles. ! The maximum life expectancy of a dolphin in the wild is around 40 to 50 years.
half-/full day. Island World Adventures (%242-363-3333; www
! The average life expectancy of a dolphin in captivity is 5 to 10 years.
Paradise Island Charters (%242-363-4458; www .islandworldadventures.com; Nassau; adult/child $175/120)
.paradise-island-charters.com) has daylong excursions on a high-powered ! Stress of confinement results in behavioral abnormalities, illness, lowered resistance to
speedboat to Saddleback Cay, in the Exumas. disease and early death.
Boat Excursions There’s great snorkeling and seven private
Dozens of day trips are offered, with options beaches to wander. Trips include lunch, an If you want the joy of meeting a dolphin, there are outfits that will take you to see, swim and
for snorkeling, diving, beach and island open bar, snorkeling gear and a stop at lovely dive with wild dolphins in their environment, out in the ocean. See p125 for details. Across the
visits, partying, sunset and dinner cruises, Leaf Cay to commune with iguanas. world, sanctuaries look after injured dolphins and would also welcome your visits. For further
and anything else you can think of! A few Nassau Cruises (% 242-363-3333; www.nassau information, check out the following organizations:
vessels depart the Nassau waterfront; most cruisesbahamas.com) offers a ‘Historical Harbour ! Captivity Stinks Organisation (www.captivitystinks.org) Records how long dolphins live at
depart the dock immediately west of the Cruise’ around Paradise Island, passing the individual parks around the world.
Paradise Island Exit Bridge. East End Lighthouse, Arawak Cay, pirate
! Earthwatch Institute (www.earthwatch.org/expedselect.html) and Ecotourism Lindblad
Apart from the public fast ferry, Baha- homes and other sites, tracing the Bahamas’
Expeditions (www.expeditions.com) can organize volunteering with dolphin-trips.
mas Ferries (Map pp66-7; %242-323-2166; www.baha colorful past. The trips depart daily, take
masferries.com; Potter’s Cay, Nassau; adult/child $159/99) about 90 minutes and cost around $40. ! Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society (www.wdcs.org) Strongly advocates the removal of
also operates the great value ‘Harbour Island A day of fun is on offer with Flying Cloud dolphins from theme parks.
Day Away’ excursion to wonderful Eleu- Catamaran Cruises (Map p77; % 242-363-4430; ! NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service (www.nmfs.noaa.gov) Produces US Marine
thera. It departs daily from Potter’s Cay, flyingcloud@coralwave.com; Paradise Island Ferry Terminal; Mammal Inventory Reports and keeps comprehensive records of captive mammals in the US.
takes two hours each way and includes a adult/child $90/45), with a catamaran cruise,
! Sun Sentinel (www.sun-sentinel.com) Check out this South Florida US newspaper’s archives
tour of pretty Harbour Island, a great lunch snorkeling around lovely little Rose Island for its May 2004 stories entitled ‘Marine Attractions Below the Surface.’
and refreshments on the idyllic Pink Sands and a chance to snooze in a hammock after
Beach. This is a simple decision – go! a beach BBQ lunch with wine; perfect.
NEW PROVIDENCE 82 N A S S AU • • N a s s a u F o r C h i l d re n
Water sports are available at all the re-
sorts along Paradise and Cabbage Beaches
on Paradise Island. Most of the motorized
sports are operated by local entrepreneurs.
Typical prices include $50 for 30 minutes’
jet-skiing, $30 per person for a 15-minute
banana-boat fun ride, and $45 to $60 for
parasailing.
Tennis, Racquetball & Squash
Dozens of hotels have tennis courts, some of
which are open to nonguests for a fee. Radis-
son Cable Beach Golf Course (Map p76; %242-327-
6000; W Bay St, Cable Beach) has tennis, squash and
racquetball courts that are open to nonguests
for $10 per person, per day (racquet hire is
$5). Night court hire is also possible.
Golf
New Providence has three great golf courses
open to the public, including Paradise
Island’s Ocean Club Golf Course (p88).
The challenging 7-acre Radisson Cable
Beach Golf Course (Map p76; %242-327-6000; www
.radisson-cablebeach.com; Cable Beach) is the oldest
in the Bahamas, but has been recently re-
designed. Once managed by golfing supremo
Arnold Palmer, it charges a $140 green fee
($100 for nine holes) and rates include a
golf cart.
Another excellent course, the South Ocean
Golf Course (p98) is at New Providence’s
western tip, and was closed for a face-lift at
the time of research.
Running
Fitness fanatics can run the shaded jogging
trail that snakes along the central median
of W Bay St, a 1½-mile-long path from
Sandals Royal Bahamian to the Cable Beach
Golf Course.
The Nassau Hash House Harriers (Brian Crick %242-
325-2831; www.nassauhash.com) have an organized
run that lasts around 40 minutes each Mon-
day (April to October) or Sunday (November
to March).
Bird-Watching
The Bahamas National Trust (Map pp66-7;
%242-393-1317; fax 242-393-4978; Village Rd, Nassau;
h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) regularly offers guided
bird-watching walks.
Also contact the Bahamas Ornothology Group
(%242-393-1317) for news on further bird-
watching activities.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Horseback Riding
Take a trot on a trail with the horses of Happy
Trails Stables (Map pp64-5; %242-362-1820; Coral
Harbour, Southern Beaches; $90; hMon-Sat). Ninety-
minute rides take in the woodland and
beach scenery of the southern coastlands,
and transfers are also provided.
For further horseback-riding options,
also see Earth Village (opposite).
NASSAU FOR CHILDREN
The following are some ideas for things that
children, and their parents, might enjoy
doing while in Nassau.
! Take a tour of the amazing 34-acre
Waterscape at the Atlantis resort (p78),
where a whole host of lagoons are
home to over 200 species of marine life,
including sharks.
! Sit and wave at people from your horse-
drawn surrey (p73).
! Gawp at the huge diamante-studded and
rainbow-colored costumes of the Junkanoo
carnival at the Junkanoo Expo (p73).
! Salute a marching flamingo, yawn at a
dozing iguana, cluck at a Bahama parrot
and smile at a big cat at Ardastra Gardens,
Zoo & Conservation Park (p75).
! Walk past a bunch of wicked and wanton
buccaneers and their pirate ship at the
brilliant interactive Pirates of Nassau
Museum (p71).
! Ride in a glass-hulled semisubmarine
with Seaworld Explorer (p81).
! Swim or snorkel in 12ft of water with
gentle captive rays in Blue Lagoon’s
Stingray City Marine Park (see the boxed
text, p80).
! Mingle with a captive dolphin at Blue
Lagoon’s Dolphin Encounters (see the
boxed text, p80).
Cable Beach and Paradise Beach are both
lined with operators offering water-sports
activities and equipment for hire. Beachside
resorts usually have their own facilities
which are open to nonguests upon the
purchase of a day ticket.
For more information on traveling with
children in the Bahamas, see p276.
TOURS
Nearly all hotels have tour desks that will
offer a selection of choices and make all
bookings on your behalf. Also refer to the
www.lonelyplanet.com
recommended boat excursions that are
listed on p80.
Many taxi drivers will offer tours of the
island and/or Nassau. Negotiate prices care-
fully prior to commencing any trips. It may
well be cheaper to hire a car and take yourself
to any spots of interest.
Nassau’s quaint horse-drawn surreys
(p73) are a great way to explore downtown
Nassau at an easy pace.
Earth Village (% 242-356-2274, 242-434-8981;
tkmiller@coralwave.com; hMon-Sat) Offers some-
thing off the beaten track. Enjoy exploring
the island’s center and coppice forests either
on a guided walking tour (adult/child $50/
15), horseback ride (adult/child $90/50) or
through a special bird-watching experience
(adult/child $60/20). This 155 acres of
protected territory for birds encompasses
water ponds teeming with fish, windmills
and wooden bridges providing access to
historical ruins; perfect for nature lovers
(adult/child $75/45).
Majestic Tours (%242-322-2606; www.majesticholi
days.com; $35) Runs a number of air-conditioned
bus tours including the extended City &
Country Tour, which incorporates the
city and environs, such as Forts Fincastle
and Charlotte, the Queen’s Staircase, plus
Government House and Ardastra Gardens,
Zoo & Conservation Park. The company
offers a good-value deal on three tours for
$110 (City & Country; Robinson Crusoe –
snorkeling and lunch on a deserted cay;
and a dinner-cruise with buffet and a DJ).
Majestic Tours also have a range of land-
and water-based tours.
Nassau Walking Tour (%242-325 8687, 242-328
8687; tour $10; htours 10am & 2pm Mon-Sat) Departs
twice daily from the bust of Sir Milo Butler
in Rawson Sq (the guides wear blue batik
waistcoats), and covers all the major points
of historical interest in downtown Nassau.
This is a great way to find your way around
as well as learning all the salient bits of Nas-
sau’s past. Take a hat and some water; this
90-minute walk covers a fair bit of ground.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Major Bahamian Festivals, such as Boxing
Day’s brilliant Junkanoo, are listed on p279.
For more on local events and festival dates,
contact the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-
302-5000; www.bahamas.com) information booths
at the Welcome Centre or at the airport.
N A S S AU • • Fe s t i v a l s & E v e n t s 83
NEW PROVIDENCE
One of two great events full of colonial
tradition is the Opening of Parliament, a colorful,
formal occasion featuring the Royal Bahamas
Police Force Band marching in pith helmets,
starched white tunics and leopard-skin shawls.
The governor-general delivers a speech on
behalf of Her Majesty, to whom the gathered
officials swear allegiance.
Pageantry also marks the Opening of the Su-
preme Court Sessions in January, April, July, and
October. Lawyers and judges in full regalia
march to Christ Church Anglican Cathedral
for a service, followed by an inspection of
the guard of honor. Music and even more
pageantry are provided by the police force
band.
The following are a few other fun-filled
local proceedings.
JANUARY
Classic Cars Race Lovers of flashy vintage cars should
head to Nassau for this four-day, midmonth festival when
rare Ferraris, Jaguars and other classics dating back to the
1920s gear up for a race along Cable Beach.
FEBRUARY
International Food Fair Local Bahamian fare comes
to the streets of Nassau, with cookouts and competitions
highlighting the bounty of the sea and land.
People of the Bahamas Annual Archives Exhib-
ition Held in Nassau, the exhibition features exhibits
showcasing the contributions of various ethnic groups to
the historical and cultural development of the nation.
APRIL
Snipe Winter Sailing Championship Draws homemade
boats to race one another in Montagu Bay; contact Royal
Nassau Sailing Club (%242-393-0145) for details.
JUNE
Caribbean Muzik Fest This will make you shake
something! Move to reggae, soca, calypso and dance hall at
the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre until dawn.
Goombay Summer Festival Nassau hosts a midyear
Junk anoo, with round-the-clock festivities for summertime
visitors.
AUGUST
Emancipation Day Held the first Monday in August
to commemorate the emancipation of slaves in 1834.
A highlight is an early-morning ‘Junkanoo Rush’ at 4am
in Fox Hill.
Fox Hill Day Celebration Held a week after
Emancipation Day, this celebration recalls the day on which
residents of Fox Hill learned of emancipation.
NEW PROVIDENCE 84 N A S S AU • • S l e e p i n g www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N A S S AU • • S l e e p i n g 85

NEW PROVIDENCE
Miss Bahamas Contest More than 10 finalists vie for the NOVEMBER overall, has surprisingly expensive accom- is only a 10-minute walk into town or to
coveted Miss Bahamas title in a gala evening featuring star- Guy Fawkes Night On November 5, Bahamians celebrate modations. Many hotels are obviously the city beach.
spangled entertainment. It’s held midmonth in Nassau. The retribution for the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Catholic overpriced. These places provide meanly Towne Hotel (Map p69; %242-322-8450; www
winner represents the Bahamas in the Miss Universe contest. plotters tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, equipped or tatty rooms, but charge the .townehotel.com; 40 George St; r $70; na) This
by lighting bonfires and burning the lead villain, Guy Fawkes, same rates as the hotels that work hard to hotel offers 46 small, well-lit rooms, but they
SEPTEMBER in effigy, accompanied by fireworks and a nighttime parade. maintain good standards and offer a variety have been cheaply refurbished. However,
Bahamas Atlantis Superboat Challenge Life is never Christmas Jollification An arts and crafts bonanza at of guest facilities. Even some charming, the rooms appear to be clean, and the
so fast in Nassau as in late September, when this annual The Retreat (p74) with food, drink, kids and music, as well modern and well-facilitated lodgings tend location is good. Each room has a fan, king-
professional powerboat race is held. Forty or more teams as a lot of fun. to push the line between ‘reasonable’ and size bed, and small bathroom. There is a
compete in boats that are to smaller speedboats what Thanksgiving Ball This black-tie do at the British ‘over-the-top’ rates. However, most accom- nice downstairs bar and small dining area,
dragsters are to the family sedan. Colonial Hilton Nassau (p86) is a long-established modations share one thing in common; where the house parrots natter away with an
Summer Madness Revue A satirical review at the traditional fundraiser for the Bahamas Humane Society. additional room and guest charges that can American accent.
Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts looks at local politics. Anyone who is anyone is seen here. push the daily rate up by 20% to 30%. Grand Central Hotel (Map p69; %242-322-8356;
But don’t despair; with a bit of easy www.grand-central-hotel.com; Bay & Parliament Sts; r $70;
OCTOBER DECEMBER planning, there are ways to find reduced a) If you can cope with gloomy rooms,
Great Bahamas Seafood Festival The Arawak Cay Police Band Annual Christmas & Classical Concert rates (up to 60 per cent), at all budget levels. try this small, well-located hotel. The rooms
Seafood Market in Nassau is the setting for this annual The Royal Bahamas Police Force Band performs holiday Many hotel websites offer lower rates not are certainly better than the lobby would
four-day culinary and cultural extravaganza, featuring classics at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, with available through tour operators. See p270 suggest, and they are very clean. Despite
concerts, Junkanoo and plenty of food. accomplished local musicians assisting in the festivities. for more information. dowdy orange-and-brown decor, each room
International Cultural Weekend Bahamians celebrate Junior Junkanoo Parade A fabulous taste of things to has its own bathroom, TV, air-con and
unity among the many nationalities residing in the islands come with some serious competitors, beating drums and Downtown Nassau phone. Overpriced but negotiable, the rates
with a midmonth weekend of float parades, food fests, arts wonderful images. In general, downtown Nassau hotels tend to are inclusive of all charges.
and crafts displays, and concerts; held in Nassau. be smaller and cheaper than those in Cable
International Mixed Championship Golf Tourna- SLEEPING Beach. Paradise Island resorts top the scale, MIDRANGE
ment This is a weeklong 54-hole event for amateurs, Visitors of all budgets tend to agree, New both in terms of luxury and rates. It is strongly Holiday Inn Junkanoo Beach Hotel (Map p69; %242-
traditionally held at the Ocean Club Golf Course (p88). Providence in particular, and the Bahamas rumored that many Cable Beach hotels and 356-0000; www.basshotels.com/holiday-inn; W Bay St at
adjacent businesses are to be demolished for Nassau St; r $135; pnais) Although
another vast Paradise Island–style Atlantis things can be a little haphazard occasionally
GAY & LESBIAN NASSAU and casino complex, which probably means (the booking system can fail, and the fittings
The pink dollar is not welcomed by many Bahamians, and there are few public illustrations of a price hike in Cable Beach, so make hay in refurbished rooms are sometimes not
support for a Bahamian gay and lesbian population across the islands, unless individuals openly while the sun shines. what they should be), this hotel has the best
support the political pressure group Rainbow Alliance. Sadly, although Bahamians are generally facilities of the midrange hotels in Nassau.
an extremely tolerant and friendly people, the pervasiveness of fundamentalist religious beliefs BUDGET Rooms are clean, light and comfortable, and
has fostered an ugly bigotry and intolerance of progressive lifestyles, particularly towards gays Mignon Guest House (Map p69; % 242-322-4771; 12 are decorated in bright tropical pastels. Each
and lesbians. Market St; s/d $40/45;na) This neat, clean and has a balcony, TV, safe, fridge, data port,
Most Bahamian gays are still deeply in the closet, and the nation has draconian laws against comfortable guesthouse is situated in the hairdryer, iron and coffeemaker. Rooms
homosexual activity, which is punishable by prison terms. Laws are strictly enforced and public heart of downtown and is a veritable bargain; have en suites, and the beds are firm and
expressions of affection between gays will bring trouble. prices have not changed over the years, and spacious. The hotel has a guest laundry,
In 1998 a group of religious bigots called Save the Bahamas made waves when it angrily are inclusive of taxes. If the aging hosts are gym, shop, business services, restaurant as
protested against the arrival of a gay charter-cruise. The group compounded the negative press a bit inflexible, they are refreshingly not well as a bar.
by also protesting against the arrival of the company Holland America’s Veendam, which they driven by money, and the security is good. Quality Inn (Map p69; %242-322-1515; www.quality
mistakenly believed was chartered by a gay group, causing Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert There are six small rooms, with fans, TV and inn.com; cnr W Bay & Nassau Sts; r $90;pnas)
Ingraham to issue a public apology. central air-conditioning, that share a toilet This shiny new hotel sits next door to the
This remonstration was then followed up by a preemptive protest against the docking of the and bathroom. Guests also have access to a Holiday Inn Junkanoo, and all rooms face
Norwegian Dawn, a gay family cruise backed by American comedian and actor Rosie O’Donnell, small kitchen, fridge and microwave. the sea, some with better views than others.
in July 2004. By the actual date of the cruise ship’s arrival, the previously vocal protestors were Buena Vista Restaurant & Hotel (Map p69; The cheerfully decorated rooms are nearly
greatly reduced in number, but among them were the Bahamian gay rights group Rainbow %242-322-2811; stanbv2000@yahoo.com; Delancy St; as well equipped as their neighbor’s (un-
Alliance, who bravely met and welcomed the cruise ship’s gay and lesbian passengers. r $50; pna) This faded old mansion, fortunately no fridge though), which will
According to the former group Bahamian Gays & Lesbians Against Discrimination, Club Med, acclaimed for its restaurant (p90) of the attract a similar business client as well as mid-
Super Club Breezes, and Atlantis resorts are gay-friendly, but Sandals Royal Bahamian forbids same name, still has much charm, and some range travelers. Mind you, there are no hotel
same-sex couples. great-value lodgings upstairs. The rooms facilities, such as laundries, a restaurant or
Rainbow Alliance (% 242-328-1816), the aforementioned political pressure group, is a have en suites, and are clean and furnished Internet connections, and the pool is tiny.
good point of contact for assistance and advice in planning a trip. Try also the website www with some lovely antique furniture, they El Greco (Map p69; % 242-325-1121; fax 242-
.bahamasuncensored.com for some information on gay issues. also have TV, radio and direct-line phones. 325-1124; cnr W Bay & Augusta Sts; s/d $90/110; p
The rates are inclusive of all charges and it nas) At the west end of downtown,
NEW PROVIDENCE 86 N A S S AU • • S l e e p i n g
this compact family-run hotel, enhanced by
Spanish decor, surrounds a small courtyard
with pool and bougainvillea. The rooms
can be gloomy, the fittings ramshackle and
the facilities limited, but the location and
security are good, and rates are inclusive of
all charges. Rooms come with phone, fan
and TV. Upstairs rooms are larger, have
balconies and a little more light.
TOP END
British Colonial Hilton Nassau (Map p69; %242-
322-9036; www.hiltoncaribbean.com/nassau; 1 Bay St;
s/d $230/240; pnais ) This massive
grande dame of a hotel, built in 1922, is a
Bahamian institution and was a location for
two James Bond movies. The rooms have
elegant, contemporary decor and modern
amenities, with marble-lined bathrooms
and a surfeit of mahogany. Or maybe you’d
enjoy the ‘Double-O Suite,’ stocked with
James Bond movies and decorated with
Bond posters on the walls? There’s a choice
of restaurants as well as bars offering live
music, big US sports games on TV, and
dancing and entertainment. Other facilities
include a swimming pool, tennis courts and
some water sports. The rooms have their
own climate control, Internet connections
and video games – something to please
everyone. The small private beach doesn’t
get washed by the sea but it does face the
cruise-ships dock, and offers some amazing
sights.
East of Downtown
Red Carpet Inn (Map pp66-7; % 242-393-7981;
www.redcarpetinnbahamas.com; E Bay St; r $106; p
nas) A contemporary 40-room hotel
with adequate but plain rooms, this is a quiet
and simple place, taxes are included and the
security is good. The rooms are clean, with
double beds, fridges, microwaves, safes, TV
and phone. Some have a kitchenette. There’s
also a restaurant and guest laundry.
Nassau Harbour Club (Map pp66-7; %242-393-
0771; nch@batelnet.bs; E Bay St; r $90; nas )
Popular with yachties and spring-breakers,
this place overlooks the marina and has
a pool and sundeck suspended over the
water. The rooms are appealing if a little
bare. The Dockside Bar & Grill, downstairs,
and another on-site restaurant add to the
party atmosphere. Each room has a TV and
phone.
www.lonelyplanet.com
THE AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant (Map p69; %
242-322-2796; www.graycliff.com; W Hill St, Nas-
sau; r $290; pnais) Nassau’s most
discreet and character-laden hotel is this
fabulous 250-year-old Georgian home built
by a wealthy pirate and hidden away above
town on W Hill St. Nine rooms with lofty
ceilings and five romantic cottage suites in
the garden have windows on all sides. The
bathrooms are exquisite. The central rooms
feature unique Cuban art and comfortably
faded and eclectic furnishings. There’s a
smoking room and library resplendent with
the rich aroma of Cuban cigars, an aston-
ishing wine cellar, a restaurant (p90) be-
loved by gourmands and regular themed
evenings of South American cuisine. The
tranquil garden and courtyards contain a
salt-water Olympic-length swimming pool,
one of three pools, and often host intimate
weddings. A history of celebrity guests past
and present include Sir Winston Churchill,
the Beatles, Elle and LL Cool J.
Orchard Hotel Apartments (Map pp66-7; %242-
393-1297; fax 242-394-3562; Village Rd; studios $95, stan-
dard/superior cottages from $130; as) Fourteen
pink cottages are tucked away in quiet, lush
grounds centered on a small pool. A little
worn around the edges, each is pleasantly
furnished and has air-con, TV and a small
kitchen.
West of Downtown
Dillet’s Guest House (Map pp66-7; %242-325-1133;
fax 242-325-7183; Columbus Ave at Strachan St; s/d incl
continental breakfast $85/135; nais) One of
Nassau’s true gems, this family-run B&B is
a great place to experience some Bahamian
hospitality. A row of tall palms guides you
up the path to the 1920s-era home, with
rocking chairs on the veranda, hammocks
in the garden, wicker furniture, original
art and squawking parakeets. All the com-
fortable rooms have cable TV and some
have kitchenettes. Dinners are available on
request. Care is definitely required in this
area at night.
Cable Beach
There are some great family-friendly resorts
along this beach. Most offer tons of daytime
www.lonelyplanet.com
and evening activities, water sports and
restaurants. Parents will also be grateful
for in-house bars and restaurants as well as
baby-sitting services and laundry facilities.
Many resort hotels also offer some good-
value packages.
MIDRANGE
Radisson Cable Beach & Golf Resort (Map p76;
242-327-6000; www.radisson.com; W Bay St; r $165; p
nas) This large resort has spacious
ocean-view rooms, all with balcony, over-
looking an exquisitely landscaped 25,000
sq ft courtyard with three large pools,
cascading falls, whirlpool spas, outdoor
dining and shady palms. The resort offers
six restaurants, ‘Camp Junkanoo’ – an ex-
tensive supervised program for kids – and
after-dark activities for teens. Guests can
also take part in tennis, golf, racquetball,
squash and water sports.
Nassau Beach Hotel (Map p76; %242-327-7711;
www.nassaubeachhotel.com; W Bay St; r $150; p
nas) This older, traditional hotel was
featured in two James Bond movies many
years ago. All the rooms are admirable,
but those in the east wing are spacious and
nicely furnished. There’s a small shopping
arcade and several dining options, including
Café Johnny Canoe (p91). Flood-lit tennis
courts and water sports are offered.
Guanahani Village (Map p76; %242-327-0688;
www.guanahanivillage.com; 8-person units from $415)
These garden and oceanfront rental units
in three-story townhouses are attractive
and great-value.
TOP END
Westwind II (Map p76; %242-327-7211; ww11club@
batelnet.bs; W Bay St; d $210; as) This intimate
resort is immediately west of the Radisson.
A small number of well-maintained, self-
contained, two-bedroom air-con villas
are centered on lush grounds with tennis
courts and pools. Dinghy boats as well
as snorkeling are on offer. Each unit has
satellite TV and a fully furnished kitchen
and there is easy access to the beach from
the grounds.
Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace
Casino (Map p76; % 242-327-6200; www.wyndham
nassauresort.com; W Bay St; r $199; pnas )
This outwardly gaudy resort has tasteful,
contemporary and comfortable rooms.
Fun-lovers will revel in the Crystal Palace
N A S S AU • • S l e e p i n g 87
NEW PROVIDENCE
Casino, a cabaret nightclub, golf course,
tennis and squash courts, shopping plaza
and several bars and restaurants. The
hotel also has a kids club, with supervised
activities and theme days. The landscaped
beachfront courtyard has a 100ft waterslide,
Jacuzzi and swim-up bar – what else do
you need?
Sandals Royal Bahamian (Map p76; % 242-
327-6400; www.sandals.com; W Bay St; d $645-925;
pnais) Minimum stays of two
days are required at this all-inclusive hotel,
which is recommended for those couples
who like to party. No children or singles are
permitted at this award-winning flagship
of the renowned Sandals hotel chain. The
property extends over 13 landscaped acres
and includes a private beach with water
sports and full-service spa.
Sandyport
Sandyport Beaches Resort (Map p76; %242-327-
4279; www.sandyport.com; W Bay St; d $100, town-
houses $210; pnas) This snazzy new
residential-resort complex at the west end
of Cable Beach has a marina, fitness center,
tennis courts and church to keep you toned,
spiritually and physically. Airy, modern and
well-equipped rooms and townhouses offer
good value with weekly and monthly deals.
Townhouse rates are for two adults and two
children. The gardens are still a building
site but the beach is just across the road.
Sun Fun Resort (Map pp64-5; %242-327-8827;
www.sunfunbahamas.com; W Bay St; r per week $800;
pnas) Although ‘resort’ is stretching
it a bit, this small hotel’s rooms are clean
and nice, if a tad small, and come equipped
with telephone, satellite TV and a balcony
that overlooks the pool or the ocean. The
in-house Pisces Restaurant & Lounge serves
a range of Bahamian and seafood dishes as
well as tropical drinks.
Paradise Island
This is a fairly ritzy place, make no mistake.
The beaches are lined with big hotels that
offer all facilities, luxuries and activities.
There is fun to be had, but at a price. At the
time of writing several of the island’s former
hotels were being replaced with new resorts.
MIDRANGE
Sunshine Paradise Suites (Map p77; %242-363-
3955; Paradise Island Dr; r $145; as) These 16
NEW PROVIDENCE 88 N A S S AU • • E a t i n g
self-contained apartment suites are very
good value, if a little spartan and short on
furniture! However, they are clean, spacious
and sit in the center of the island. Rates are
for four people, and weekly and monthly
rates are also good. All units come with TV
and a fully fitted kitchen.
Paradise Harbour Club & Marina (Map p77;
%242-363-2992; www.phc-bahamas.com; Paradise Island
Dr; $150; pnas) At the east end of
Paradise Island Dr, this is a small, attrac-
tive Swiss-run property in a marina set-
ting. An eclectic collection of buildings
contain spacious and clean rooms, with
large kitchens and contemporary decor.
There’s no beach at hand, but the splendid
Columbus Tavern Restaurant (p92) is here,
and the small pool has a water cascade.
TOP END
Atlantis (Map p77; %242-363-3000, ext 28; www
.atlantis.com; r $350; pnais ) Merge
Disneyland and Sea World and you have
a bustling mega-resort unlike any hotel
this side of Vegas. This 24-story resort’s
rooms all boast balconies and mod cons.
Atlantis also has 11 swimming areas, a 7-acre
snorkeling lagoon, six-story water slides, 35
specialty restaurants, numerous bars and an
entertainment complex with a 50,000 sq ft
casino, and cabaret and other shows. There’s
also exercise and sports facilities, a full-
service spa, a shopping plaza, a Discovery
Channel Camp for kids and Club Rush
for teens. Phew! The resort offers special
package rates and the off-peak rates make
staying here a more feasible option.
Ocean Club (Map p77; % 242-363-2501; www
.oneandonlyoceanclub.com; Paradise Island Dr; r $695;
pnais ). This exquisite colonial
property exudes European elegance, serenity
and class. A large garden fronts the ocean and
a wonderful and peaceful beach, while the
central building contains an elegant library,
small bar and dining areas. Crystal and
silver sparkle on linen-draped tables around
a courtyard dining area, and a children’s
club offers a full day of activities. Rooms,
cottages and villas are capacious, with pri-
vate verandas, large marble bathrooms,
ele-gant bygone-era decor and state-of-the-
art amenities. A Bermudan-style bar, nine
tennis courts plus the nearby Ocean Club
Golf Course are open to guests, as are the
Atlantis facilities.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Comfort Suites (Map p77; %242-363-3680; www
.comfortsuites.com; Casino Dr; r incl breakfast $215-275;
pnas) This large, efficient hotel is
nicely furnished and the attractive rooms
are well equipped with king-size beds,
a sitting area with sofa bed, cable TV,
minibar, hairdryer and safe. There is a great
pool and deck area containing a swim-up
bar. What makes this hotel really impressive
is that guests have free access to all Atlantis
facilities, and that children (under 18) who
share their parents’ room stay for free.
EATING
Nassau’s eateries run the gamut from
colorful local establishments serving down-
home Bahamian dishes to chic restaurants
offering world-class gourmet fare.
The resort hotels contain a plethora of
good restaurants and more informal eateries,
as do the lively Arawak Cay’s Fish Fry (p91)
and Potter’s Cay market (p74).
Downtown Nassau
Budget
Imperial Cafeteria & Take-Away (Map p69; %242-
322-4522; Marlborough St; mains $5-10; hbreakfast,
lunch & dinner) Ignore the yellow Formica, this
is consistently the best-value takeout food
in Nassau, beloved of many Bahamians and
guests of the lordly British Colonial Hilton
opposite. Simple fast-food cooked well; the
fish is fresh, light and crispy, the burgers are
tasty and the $3 breakfasts are filling.
Bahamian Kitchen, Restaurant & Bar (Map
p69; %242-325-0702; Trinity Place; mains $10-18; h
lunch & dinner Mon-Fri) The place for traditional
Bahamian dishes, specializing in seafood
dishes from S15, but also serving salads,
curried, steamed and broiled meats, and
BBQ chicken and ribs. Most customers
choose the day’s specials while enjoying a
chilled beer.
Café Skan’s (Map p69; %242-322-2486; Bay St at
Frederick St; mains $12-20; h breakfast, lunch & dinner)
The Bahamian and American breakfasts
are very popular and getting a table can
be a squeeze; it’s chock-full of breakfasting
businessmen and police officers – you can’t
go wrong with those references.
Also recommended for tasty and quick
food:
Conch Fritters Bar & Grill (Map p69; %242-323-
8778; Marlborough St; mains $9-16; hlunch & dinner)
Specializes in conch dishes and burgers.
www.lonelyplanet.com N A S S AU • • E a t i n g 89
NEW PROVIDENCE
GROUPER & CONCH; DISTINCT FLAVORS OR EXTINCT SPECIES?
With conch and grouper on every restaurant menu across the isles, you are not going to be
able to avoid a very difficult moral decision; should you eat what are rapidly declining species
in this region? It is your choice of course, but international and local research all says the same
thing: grouper and conch populations in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos region are fast
approaching the point of no return.
Grouper populations have collapsed in most of the Caribbean, and the Nassau grouper is now
classified as an endangered species in many areas. The Bahamian grouper catch in 2001 was less
than half a million pounds, about a third of the 1999 catch. And recent surveys of discarded
conch shells show that 75% of those taken for food and tourism are undersized.
The cause for the decline is pretty obvious; over-fishing at the worst possible times. Bahamian
groupers are being fished en masse as they group together to spawn, while conch are being
harvested before they can breed.
The Queen conch (Strombus gigas) is a large marine snail with a spectacular pink shell that
grazes on sea grasses and lives for 20 years. The primary source of protein for islanders, it is widely
sought after for its sweet, white meat, which tastes somewhat like a rubbery scallop.
Groupers are very slow-growing fish, and some species of grouper live to be over 120 years
old. The fish like to breed in groups of thousands at a full moon during the months of November
to February. Fishermen have been deliberately targeting these fish at this time with big nets and
satellite navigation equipment. To put it into perspective, a similar practice in Bermuda resulted
in a 95% decline in the population. Evidence shows that the fish and conch do not repopulate
locations even if they are protected.
Following the collapse of the conch populations in parts of the Caribbean, Florida and Bermuda,
the Nassau grouper and conch have been protected from all fishing in Florida for around 25
years. But both species are rarely seen.
Groups such as the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (%242-362-6477;
www.breef.org; 24b Wulff Rd, W Bay St, Nassau) have been virtually begging the Bahamian government
to take swift and decisive action as follows:
! Establish marine reserves to protect conch populations, which will also benefit grouper (and
other species such as crawfish).
! Set up a four-month total ban (from November to February inclusive) on fishing grouper; this
is, they say, the most critical action required.
! Police the marine reserves and the seasonal ban on grouper fishing to prevent both local
fishermen and international poachers ignoring these edicts.
The Bahamian government instigated a one-month ban on fishing grouper during January 2004,
and a two-month ban during January and February 2005, but this is not perceived to be enough
to save the species in the long run.
Likewise, in 1992 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species listed the
conch one category below threatened status, yet these creatures are still exported across the
Caribbean to other regions where the fishing of them has been banned. Contact CITES (www
.cites.org) for more information.
So perhaps you fancy pizza or chicken for supper after all?
Sbarro’s (Map p69; %242-356-0800; Bay St; mains This licensed and intimate restaurant is
$5-12; hlunch & dinner) Very popular with Bahamian authentically Belgian, from the gleaming
workers and cruise-ship passengers for its yummy pizza wood and mirrored walls to the great menu.
slices, pastas and hot Bahamian lunches. Delicate crepes, steak and omelette dishes
are listed alongside the monthly special of
MIDRANGE steamed mussels and Belgian frites. A long-
Brussels Brasserie (Map p69; %242-326-4523; Mari- luncher’s paradise; don’t miss out on the
time House, Frederick St; mains $22-28; hlunch Mon-Fri) wonderful chocolate-orange crepes.
NEW PROVIDENCE 90 N A S S AU • • E a t i n g
THE AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Café Matisse (Map p69; % 242-356-7012;
Bank Lane, Nassau; mains $18-24; hlunch & din-
ner Tue-Sat) A comfortable restaurant with
great atmosphere and excellent food that
is reasonably priced – what more could you
ask for? The decor combines leopard-skin
fabrics, rich hardwoods, bare limestone
walls and Matisse prints. However, regulars
prefer a bottle of wine and lunch alfresco,
under the dappled shade of the courtyard’s
trees. The menu displays Italian flair and
tasty vegetarian choices with homemade
pastas that melt in the mouth and pizzas
with pizzazz. The service is exemplary and
friendly. This is real understated class.
Green Shutters Restaurant & Pub (Map p69;
% 242-322-3701; 48 Parliament St; mains $8-25;
hlunch daily, dinner Mon-Sat) You’d swear you
were in old country England; this intimate
pub has authentic beamed ceilings, leather
chairs and a polished wooden bar serving
ploughman’s platters and bangers and mash
with pints of best Bitter and draught ales.
The dining room offers good fish and beef
dishes as well as live music at weekends, but
do make reservations beforehand. Cheers!
Chez Willie (Map p69; %242-322-5364; W Bay St;
mains $14-30; hlunch & dinner Mon-Sat, brunch Sun)
The coy statues that surround this place
usher you into a little courtyard where you
can dine alfresco or indoors. The menu
covers French and Bahamian cuisines.
Dishes include pumpkin soup and blackened
swordfish, although they love doing fancy
things with lobster, cream and puff pastry
too. Smart dress required.
Gaylord’s (Map pp66-7; % 242-356-3004; Dow-
deswell St; mains $8-25; h lunch Mon-Fri, dinner
daily) The Indian cuisine is excellent, and
vegetarians will also rejoice in a rare choice
of dishes. Creamy masalas and kormas,
spicy tandooris and bhunas and more are
consumed to a backdrop of gentle, classical
music on the small veranda or in the dining
room.
TOP END
Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant (Map p69; %242-
322-2796; www.graycliff.com; W Hill St, Nassau; r $290;
pnais) has mains for $30 to $45
and is open for lunch from Monday to Friday
www.lonelyplanet.com
and for dinner daily. The French-inspired
cuisine here is superb, as is the signature dish
of Lobster Graycliff. The wine cellar with its
hundreds of thousands of bottles, including
some rare dusty gems worth thousands of
dollars, claims to be the largest collection
in the Caribbean region. There is no better
selection of fine Cuban cigars with which to
end the evening. Jacket and tie are required.
See the boxed text on p86.
Buena Vista Restaurant & Hotel (Map p69,
%242-322-2811; stanbv2000@yahoo.com; Delancy St;
r $50; pna)p85) has mains for $34 to
$40 and is open for dinner. There’s an
aura of faded but comfortable elegance in
this mansion and grounds, which is the
backdrop to a creative and unpretentious
menu. The French and Italian cuisine
includes dishes such as snapper sautéed
with almonds, sirloin or filet mignon with
cream, brandy and peppercorns.
Humidor Restaurant (Map p69; %242-322-2796,
ext 301; mains $22-35; W Hill St; hlunch & dinner,
closed Sun) Next door to Graycliff Hotel &
Restaurant is this elegant bistro. A Grand
Award Winner in Wine Spectator, it serves
California-Caribbean fare under the baton
of a master chef. Typical dishes include
seafood in a large scallop shell and pasta
in saffron cream sauce with mussels and
roasted bell peppers. The adjacent lounge
is awash in Cuban art.
East of Downtown
Pinder’s Place, at Potter’s Cay Market (p74),
is a simple stall under the Paradise Island
Exit Bridge. However, the place is packed to
the brim at night with diners who love the
conch dishes here as well as the exuberant
Bahamian atmosphere. Open till late, but
watch yourself at night.
Double Dragon (Map pp66-7; %242-393-5718; Bridge
Plaza; mains $8-15; hlunch Mon-Fri, dinner Thu-Sun) This
cheap and cheerful Chinese eatery is at the
foot of the Paradise Island Exit Bridge.
Pink Pearl Café (Map pp66-7; %242-394-6413; E
Bay St; h lunch & dinner, closed Sun) A consistently
top-notch restaurant, its setting is a cool
two-story house with polished wood floors,
vibrant contemporary artworks and a wrap-
around, breeze-swept deck. The service is
grand, as is the delicious food. Appetizers
include roasted peppers, spinach and cho-
cho (crispy beef in a garlic sauce), and such
mouthwatering entrees as ginger chicken
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and guava-glazed pork. Don’t miss out on
the lemon-scented cake or the lively jazz
nights at weekends.
Montagu Gardens (Map pp66-7; % 242-394-
6347; E Bay St; mains $15-26; hlunch & dinner Mon-
Sat) For surf ’n’ turf, head to this casually
elegant place located in an old Bahamian
home, with gardens, on Lake Waterloo. The
somewhat flat atmosphere is, however, up-
lifted with live music on Friday evenings,
and reasonably priced meals include flame-
grilled and blackened entrees and specials
such as snapper cooked with wine, butter and
capers. These continental dishes are served
alongside steaks, seafood, ribs, lamb dishes
and burgers. Smart dress is required.
Sun And… (Map pp66-7; %242-393-1205; Lakeview
Dr; mains $36-42; hdinner Tue-Sat) An acclaimed
option is the oddly named and, some might
say, teeny-bit pretentious restaurant that
vets its customers before allowing them to
enter the converted home on a cul-de-sac
off the east end of Shirley St. Yet the highly
acclaimed menu offers wonderful French
cuisine as well as Bahamian dishes with
a French twist. Steak and stone crabs are
the house specialties and the baked Alaska
and soufflé desserts are equally renowned.
Reservations and extremely smart dress are
required.
West of Downtown
Fish Fry (Map pp66-7; %242-328-5033; W Bay St, Ar-
awak Cay) This is the place to be on weekends.
A number of small huts and established
restaurants serve hot food and drinks to a
backdrop of Caribbean music. Some local
favorites include Goldie’s Restaurant (Map
pp66–7), New Big 10 Seafood Haven (Map pp66-7;
%242-322-5344; hlunch & dinner Tue-Sun), Conch &
Steakhouse (Map pp66–7), Twin Brothers Sea-
food & Steak House (Map pp66-7; %242-328-5033;
hlunch & dinner Tue-Sun) and Deep Creek (Map
pp66–7) bar. Early evenings here are busy
with all age groups, but take care as it can
get a bit feral later on. The Great Bahamas
Seafood Festival (p84) is also held here each
October.
Cricket Club Restaurant & Pub (Map pp66-7;
%242-326-4720; W Bay St; mains $8-15; hlunch & din-
ner) Homesick male Brits ahoy! Come here
for a bellyful of shepherd’s pie, bangers
and mash, and Courage or Fosters beer, at
the same time you're being intellectually
stimulated by the accompanying soccer,
N A S S AU • • E a t i n g 91
NEW PROVIDENCE
cricket and rugby games on satellite TV.
It’s opposite Arawak Cay.
Coco Bar & Wood Grill (Map p76; %242-327-4287;
W Bay St, Sandyport; mains $12-26; hbreakfast, lunch &
dinner) Sitting adjacent to Sandyport Bridge,
this packed eatery brims with chatter and
the aroma of wonderful wood-fired dishes
and the best pizzas for miles. Just a gem
on all levels.
Cable Beach
Capriccio Ristorante (Map p76; %242-327-8547; cnr
W Bay St & Skyline Dr, Cable Beach; mains $14-23; hlunch
& dinner Mon-Sat, dinner Sun & public holidays) Head here
for a cosy ambiance enhanced by classical
music and friendly Italian hosts. A choice
of dishes to please all includes wonderfully
luscious pastas, such as fettuccine with rosé
and mushrooms. The attention to detail also
makes this place a true and consistent star.
The coffee is a joy alone – aromatic, rich and
authentically Italian – and the baguettes are
a crisp and refreshing change to some of the
soggy bread found locally.
Café Johnny Canoe (Map p76; %242-327-3373;
W Bay St, Cable Beach; mains $8-20; hbreakfast, lunch
& dinner) This popular café and bar adjoins
the Nassau Beach Hotel. It has a rustic yet
atmospheric outside deck (lit up at night by
Christmas lights) and a brightly colored air-
conditioned interior. It serves mainly US-
style burgers, ribs and chops, and Bahamian
fish dishes. The cocktails are bucket-sized,
and happy hour starts at 4pm. There’s also a
Junkanoo performance on Friday evening.
Swiss Pastry Shop (Map p76; %242-327-7601; W
Bay St, Cable Beach; pastries $3-6; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat)
This shop near Sandals Royal Bahamian is
one of the few places to find cheap beef
patties. It also serves yummy brownies and
some very ornamental cakes.
Sbarro’s (Map p76; %242-327-3076; W Bay St, Cable
Beach; mains $5-12; hlunch & dinner) This is the
place to fill up on cheap, tasty pizza, calzone,
salads or American-Italian fare. Sbarro’s also
offers daily Italian and Bahamian specials.
Paradise Island
There are few budget options here, and most
eateries are contained within the various
hotel resorts.
News Café (Map p77; %242-363-4684; Hurricane
Hole Plaza; mains $8-18; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner)
Homesick Americans will love this delight-
ful deli; there’s indoor or patio dining, an
NEW PROVIDENCE 92 N A S S AU • • D r i n k i n g
all-American menu of deli sandwiches,
burgers, salad platters, delicious coffee and
popular breakfasts, and American news-
papers are on sale as well as a range of
magazines.
Blue Marlin (Map p77; % 242-363-2660; Hur-
ricane Hole Plaza; mains $26-35; h lunch & dinner)
Come here for dinner and a show. Mains
include creamy and spicy dishes such as
the yummy Eleuthera coconut chicken. The
show includes calypso music, a steel band
and some Junkanoo fun.
Columbus Tavern Restaurant (Map p77; %242-
363-2992; Paradise Island Dr; mains $14-34; hlunch &
dinner) This place exudes a maritime air. It
offers a popular mix of French and Swiss
specialties, such as stuffed escargots in shells,
roast duck à l’orange and sirloin steak.
You can purchase groceries at the Para-
dise Supermarket & Deli (Map p77; %242-363-1056;
Harbour Rd).
Over the Hill
Same Ole Place (Map pp66-7; % 242-322-1311;
Thompson Blvd; mains $5-12; hlunch & dinner) This
place in the Oakes Field area serves okra
soup, crawfish and pork chops, drawing
locals ranging from the hoi polloi to Prime
Minister Hubert Ingraham.
Mamma Lyddie’s Place (Map pp66-7; %242-328-
6849; Market St; mains $8-18; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner
Mon-Sat) This cheerful place sells johnnycakes
(sweet bread that is served hot with creamy
butter) and guava duff (a fruit-filled jelly
pudding served with sauce made of sugar,
egg, butter and rum), as well as truly fabulous
side dishes, in particular the macaroni cheese,
plantain, and peas ’n’ rice.
DRINKING
Most bars in Nassau bill themselves either as
English-style pubs or US-style sports bars (or
‘satellite lounges,’ so named for their satellite
TVs). Many resort hotels have at least one
such bar, as well as more sophisticated lounge
bars where music plays in the background to
the low-key chatter of groups of groomed
cocktail drinkers.
You will not experience the local color
by playing the tourist, however. For that,
you need to hang out at satellite lounges.
Although middle-class locals tend toward
the same places as out-of-towners, there
are plenty of funky watering holes where
the activities center on downing beers and
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playing dominoes. Most have a TV and
pool table.
Downtown Nassau
Good coffee shops or wine bars are rare,
as most people use hotel lounges to dither,
gossip, people-watch and sup their caffeine
and alcohol.
Rumours (Map p69; %242-323-2925; Charlotte St)
Tucked away in a little house in the center
of town, this wine bar services a lot of local
business types and those who want a quiet
drink away from the hustle and bustle.
Drop-Off (Map p69; %242-322-3444; Bay St) This
slightly sleazy but atmospheric basement
bar and dance club attracts a mix of locals
and staff from the cruise ships, as well as
Boddington’s draft ale fans. It starts to get
jam packed after midnight, especially on
weekends when the ships are in port. Check
out the aquarium and see if the fish will
perform for you after you’ve had a draft or
two. Drop-off is near East St.
East of Downtown
Cappucino Café (Map pp66-7; %242-394-6332; Mackey
St; mains $5-8; hbreakfast & lunch) This small place
gets packed out by a lunch crowd desperate
to get their teeth into the light lunches which
include yummy tuna melts and desserts. The
great coffee might also have something to do
with its popularity.
Crocodiles Waterfront Bar & Grill (Map pp66-7;
%242-323-3341; E Bay St, Paradise Island Bridge; hnoon-
late) Although this place is more an eatery
than a bar, many people also come here for
the great atmosphere and rum cocktails at
sunset.
Dockside Sports Bar & Grill (Map p69; %242-
393-0771; E Bay St, Nassau; hnoon-late) This bar is
teeming with life at the weekends, and with
yachties at festival times.
Hammerhead Bar & Grill (Map pp66-7; %242-393-
5625; E Bay St; hnoon-late) This small bar has a
three-hour happy hour from 4pm and carries
the subtle advertising line ‘get hammered at
hammerheads.’ You will find the bar between
the two Paradise Island bridges.
West of Downtown
Fish Fry (p91), kicks off at weekends and
a number of bars serve golden beer and
rum cocktails while rocking to reggae and
Junkanoo music; check out the life at Deep
Creek bar. The area can get a bit wild later
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on, but the early evenings here are lively
with all age groups, and the police do keep
an eye on things.
Paradise Island
Green Parrot Bar & Grill (Map p77; % 242-363-
3633; Hurricane Hole Marina, Paradise Island; hnoon-
midnight) One of the few bars on the island
outside the hotel complexes. Live music on
Saturday and Sunday evenings helps add to
this place’s popularity.
ENTERTAINMENT
Downtown Nassau is strangely dead at
night, once the day’s business is put to bed.
Cruise-ship passengers return to their ships
and the Christian community, including the
Bahamas Christian Council, have influenced
the decision to centralize nightspots around
a couple of areas. See the media section p68
for details on the nightlife.
Anyone who wants to party should head
for the tourist nightspots of Cable Beach
and Paradise Island. Here you can party and
swill at will!
At the opposite end of the spectrum,
afternoon-tea parties are hosted regularly at
Government House, which forms part of the
People-to-People program, designed to put
tourists in closer contact with Bahamians.
This highly recommended and free program
also runs on many of the Family Islands.
Contact the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-
302-2000; www.bahamas.com) for more details.
Nightclubs
There are numerous clubs that come and
go, but the following are staunch favorites.
Promotion nights normally mean free entry.
It is also worth checking on dress codes and
which nights the clubs open. Some clubs
only open at weekends in quieter periods
but then party nightly during the peak
times of spring break, Easter, Christmas
and New Year.
Several resort hotels have their own
dance clubs, too, including Sandals Royal
Bahamian, which is private. Nonguests can
buy an evening pass to the resort’s own
club, Breezes, and the Fanta-Z Disco at the
Radisson Cable Beach (p87) is open to all
comers.
Fluid Lounge & Nightclub (Map p69; %242-356-
4691; Bay St, Nassau; admission $5-25; hfrom 9pm Tue-
Sun) Two dance floors and a mix of hip-hop,
N A S S AU • • E n t e r t a i n m e n t 93
NEW PROVIDENCE
R&B and karaoke keep this place popular.
Dress and minimum age requirements may
apply. There is free entry for women until
11pm and tourists with a taxi-driver pass
can get in for $5.
601 Club (Map pp66-7; %242-322-3041; 601 Bay St,
Nassau; admission $5-30; hFri-Sun) This club on the
east end of downtown is the snazziest place.
Dress and minimum age requirements may
apply. There is free entry for women until
11pm and tourists with a taxi-driver pass
can get in for $5.
Club Waterloo (Map pp66-7;%242-393-7324; E
Bay St, Nassau; admission $5-30; h9pm-4am) Near
Fort Montagu, this indoor/outdoor club is
still going strong after seven years, and is
popular with Bahamians and holidaymakers
of most ages. American spring break college
students also head here. The old colonial
building contains a number of bars, and
separate dance areas that host live rock-
and-roll bands and play hip-hop and reggae.
Wednesday’s ‘happy hour’ continues until
midnight.
Insomnia (Map pp66-7; %242-322-7664; W Bay St,
Nassau; admission $25; hfrom 10pm Thu-Sun) Fans of
reggae, soca, calypso and Bahamian music
head to Insomnia. Admission charges can
vary, check ahead.
Cocktail & Dreams Nightclub (Map pp66-7;
% 242-328-3745; W Bay St, Nassau; admission $20;
h from 9pm Tue-Sun) This indoor/outdoor
venue has a dance-hall vibe and a DJ,
and is popular with tourists, visitors and
local crowds. On Thursdays they play ‘old
school’ reggae, and on Wednesdays most
drinks are half price.
Zoo (Map pp66-7; %242-322-7195; W Bay St, Saun-
ders Beach; admission $20-40; hThu-Sat) The dance
club of choice is near Saunders Beach,
though it was in the process of reopening
with a new name and management at the
time of research. Admission prices may
change, but previously some Cable Beach
hotel guests gained free entry with hotel
ID. This ultramodern club has a number
of different bars, a ground-floor late-night
eatery, and plays house, techno, R&B and
reggae music to a pretty cool crowd.
Dragons Lounge & Dance Club (Map p77; %242-
363-2400; Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island; admission $30;
hfrom 9pm till late) Atlantis’ hot, high-tech
nightclub is part of the casino complex
and is hugely popular with locals as well as
tourists. Entry is free to hotel guests.
NEW PROVIDENCE 94 N A S S AU • • E n t e r t a i n m e n t
Live Music
Many restaurants and bars rock it up at
the weekends; check the local tourist news-
papers for a calendar of events, but it’s
also worth asking hotel and restaurant staff
as not everything is listed.
Arawak Cay (p75) is always lively at week-
ends, especially as it draws close to Junkanoo
times. Many bands and dancers practice their
routines for the Junkanoo parades at the
Fish Fry. It is great fun to watch performers
from competing ‘shacks’ or groups and
comment on their performances along with
the crowd.
The classy Pink Pearl Café (p90) keeps
its hungry diners coming back for more
with some great jazz music that adds to
the night’s entertainment. Yet, it also hosts
R&B, headliner names and jam sessions.
Call for details about who’s playing.
For rake ’n’ scrape music on Sunday eve-
nings, check out Same Ole Place (p92). It
guarantees a warm welcome and a richly
rewarding experience.
Blue Note Club (Map p69; %242-322-3301; British
Colonial Hilton, Bay St, Nassau) Has regular free jazz
nights. There’s some other really great live
music in the hotel’s other bars and lounges.
Most Paradise Island hotels have bars
playing live music, including a fistful of
options at Atlantis: Plato’s Lounge (Map p77;
%242-363-3000; www.atlantis.com), with candle-
light and a pianist, and the Piranha Club (Map
p77; %242-363-3000; www.atlantis.com), where you
can watch the eponymous fish through
Plexiglas. A crooner sings nightly at the
Oasis Lounge (Map p77; %242-363-3000; www.atlantis
.com) of Club Land’Or. And live musicians
perform at Bahama Mama Mia (Map p77; %242-
363-2660; Paradise Island) located in Hurricane Hole
Marina.
Casinos & Floorshows
Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino
(p87) The casino at the Wyndam Nassau
Resort in Cable Beach is vast and is open
to anyone over 21 years of age. The tables
and poker machines are open 24 hours and
tuition is given to anyone wanting to learn
how to throw away their money. The 800-
seat Rainforest Theatre (Map p76; %242-327-6200;
www.wyndhamnassauresort.com; Wyndham Nassau Resort
& Crystal Palace Casino, W Bay St, Cable Beach; admission
$25) hosts Las Vegas–style revues such as
the ‘Magical Voyage’ show, which blends
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comedy, dance and magic acts. The show
changes themes regularly.
Atlantis Resort & Casino (Map p77; % 242-
363-2400; www.atlantis.com; Atlantis Resort, Paradise Is-
land; admission free; h10am-4am) This enormous
casino links to the resort’s restaurants.
Poker machines are rattling 24 hours a day
amid tables offering every conceivable
means of losing your money or watching
others get poorer. Also in the Atlantis resort,
Joker’s Wild (Map p77; %242-363-3000; www.atlan
tis.com; Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island; admission price
varies; h9:30pm Tue-Sun) hosts Bahamian and
international acts who enjoy their gigs
tremendously.
King & Knights Club (Map p76; %242-327-7711;
www.nassaubeachhotel.com; Nassau Beach Hotel, W Bay
St, Cable Beach; admission $25) This club offers a
Bahamian dance show that includes trad-
itional rake ‘n’ scrape music, limbo, a fire
dance and Junkanoo music.
Cinemas
Matinee prices at these cinemas are slightly
cheaper (adult/child $6/2.50).
Galleria Cinemas 11 (Map pp64-5; %242-380-
3549; Mall at Marathon, Prince Charles Ave & Marathon
Rd, Nassau) An 11-screen theater with super-
surround sound that has day and evening
shows (adult/child $7/3.50).
Galleria 6 (Map pp64-5; % 242-380-3549; RND
Plaza, John F Kennedy Dr, Nassau) This six-screen
multiplex also has matinees and evening
shows (adult/child $7/3.50).
Theater
Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts (Map
pp66-7; %242-393-3728; fax 242-394-7179; Mackey St,
Nassau; admission $10-20) This is Nassau’s most
valued venue, hosting plays, dances, revues,
musicals and (occasionally) ballets.
National Centre for the Performing Arts (Map
pp66-7;%242-301-0600; Shirley St, Nassau) This 600-
seat center hosts large-scale performances
and international productions. Look out
for ‘Summer Madness,’ when popular local
theatrical troupes address contemporary
issues in Bahamian society. The excellent
National Youth Choir, who have recorded
eight CDs, hold an annual concert here in
late April or early May. Performances by the
National Dance Company, Nassau Amateur
Operatic Society, Chamber Singers, and
Diocesan Chorale are also a fabulous
treat.
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Spectator Sports
Check the weekend papers for matches that
may be of interest. The following are two
key match venues.
Clifford Park (Map pp66-7; %242-322-1875/3622;
W Bay St, Nassau; free admission) Cricket is played
on weekends from March to December
at this park below Fort Charlotte, where
informal soccer matches also occur.
Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre (Map pp66-7;
%242-323-5163; Over-the-Hill off Thompson Blvd, Oakes
Field, Nassau) The center has track and field and
softball stadiums, plus netball courts. The
swimming pool and cycling tracks attract
amateur and professional athletes. Baseball
games are hosted here for the Little League
and Pony League Baseball Diamonds.
SHOPPING
Bay St is lined with arcades (such as Prince
George Plaza; Map p69) and duty-free
stores selling everything from Swiss watches
and nugget-sized Colombian emeralds to
Milanese fashions and spicy rums. The side
streets are favored by stores selling leather
goods, artwork and collectibles. Upscale
resorts also have duty-free jewelry and gift
stores. The largest are the ‘malls’ in the
Radisson Cable Beach & Golf Resort (p87)
and Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal
Palace Casino (opposite).
It is worth checking out comparative
prices at home before visiting the Bahamas.
Also look out for special deals and coupons
in the free What-to-do tourist booklets,
available from any shop or hotel lobby.
Most Bahamians shop for major items
in Miami, but use the shopping malls in
the residential areas south of downtown for
the weekly shop and other incidentals. The
largest, with 70 stores, is the Mall at Mara-
thon (Map pp64-5; %242-393-4043; Marathon & Robin-
son Rds); you can take the shuttle that leaves
from outside KFC on Woodes Rogers Walk
for $1 one-way. The Towne Centre Mall (Map
pp64-5; %242-326-6992; Blue Hill Rd & Independence Dr)
is another multilevel mall.
Antiques
Marlborough Antiques (Map p69; %242-328-0502;
Marlborough St, Nassau) A wide range includes
items with a nautical theme. Prices are high!
Balmain Antiques & Gallery (Map p69; %242-
323-7421; 2nd fl, Mason’s Bldg, Bay & Charlotte Sts, Nassau)
For antique maps and etchings.
N A S S AU • • S h o p p i n g 95
NEW PROVIDENCE
Arts & Crafts
Galleries abound, as do souvenir shops
selling cheap original or hand-copied oil and
acrylic Haitian paintings from as little as $15.
Many of the straw items are imported from
Asia. The vendors expect you to bargain the
price down by about 10%, but don’t be too
miserly!
Aitken Gallery (Map pp66-7; %242-328-7065; Ma-
deira St, Nassau; h 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) This Palm-
dale district gallery promotes paint and
photographic works.
Balmain Gallery (Map p69; %242-323-7662; Bay
St at Charlotte St, Nassau; h9:30am-5:30pm Mon-Sat) A
mix of maps, antique prints, coins, postage
stamps, lead soldiers, and oil and watercolor
paintings.
Central Bank of the Bahamas Annex (Map
p69; %242-322-2130; Trinity Pl & Frederick St, Nassau;
h9:30am-4:30pm Mon-Fri) Monthly exhibitions of
classic and contemporary Bahamian artists.
Doongalik Studios (Map pp66-7; %242-393-6640;
dstudios@bahamas.net.bs; 18 Village Rd, Nassau; h9am-
5pm Mon-Fri) For vibrant Junkanoo-inspired
paintings, masks, crafts and T-shirts.
Kennedy Gallery (Map p69; % 242-325-7662;
http://mymurphys.com/kennedy/; Parliament St, Nassau;
h 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) Paintings, sculptures,
ceramics, wind chimes and other works
from both established and emerging artists,
includes children’s art.
Nassau Art Gallery (Map pp66-7; %242-393-
1482; fax 242-393-1483; East Bay Shopping Centre, E Bay
St, Nassau; h 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) Just east of the
Paradise Island Exit Bridge, this long-
established gallery has a good selection of
works.
Straw Market Cable Beach (Map p76; W Bay St); Nas-
sau (Map p69; Bay St) The market near Prince
George Wharf is a veritable Bahamian souk,
bustling with vendors selling T-shirts, wood
carvings, and straw baskets, mats, dolls, hats
and other items. You’ll also find a large straw
and crafts market across from the Radisson
Cable Beach.
Bahamas Rum Cake Shop (Map pp66-7; %242-
322-3444; Bay St, Nassau; cakes $6; h7am-5pm Mon-
Fri, 9am-noon some Saturdays) Tourist shops sell
these buttery delights in fancy sealed tins
for around $20. Buy and eat a warm one
right now or take it home; they also sell the
fancy tinned version.
Green Lizard (Map p69; %242-323-8076; Bay St,
Nassau) A diverse range of island-made items
is offered, with items including crafts made
NEW PROVIDENCE 96 N A S S AU • • G e t t i n g T h e re & A w a y
of straw, handprinted Androsia batiks and
sarongs, plus guava jams, pepper sauces and
even Haitian artworks and hammocks.
Cigars
Premium Cuban cigars can be bought for a
song in Nassau, but remember, Uncle Sam
prohibits US citizens from importing them.
The good news is that Graycliff’s cigars
are not made with Cuban tobacco so are
permitted into the US by customs.
Pipe of Peace (Map p69; %242-322-3908; Bay St
at Charlotte St) Has a fine selection of Cuban
cigars.
Havana Humidor (Map p77; % 242-363-5809;
Crystal Court, Atlantis, Paradise Island) A sizeable col-
lection of Cuban cigars; includes rolling
demonstrations.
Graycliff Cigar Co (p71) is also worth
checking out. Castro’s own cigar-roller
oversees fellow Cubans hand-rolling these
award-winning cigars
Clothing
You’ll find T-shirts and resort wear at all
the resort boutiques and in dozens of stores
downtown. Several stores also sell simple
clothes made from Androsia batiks. There
are few bargains on high-fashion clothing.
Bonneville Bones (Map pp64-5; % 242-394-2746;
Mall at Marathon) This store sells elegant designer
garb for men.
Brass & Leather Shops Charlotte St (Map p69, %242-
322-3806); Mall at Marathon (Map pp64-5; %242-394-
5676) All-leather goods and clothes.
Coles of Nassau (Map p69; %242-322-8393; Parlia-
ment St at Bay St, Nassau) These stores sell designer
fashions such as Calvin Klein, Vittadini and
Mondi.
The Bay (Map p69; %242-356-3918; Prince George
Plaza, Bay St, Nassau) This store stocks elegant
designer duds.
Gucci (Map p69; %242-325-0561; Saffrey Sq, Nassau)
This store off Bay St sells the well-known
brand.
Jewelry, Perfume & Collectibles
Coin of the Realm (Map p69; %242-322-4497; Char-
lotte St, Nassau) Bahamian coins, stamps and
semiprecious stones.
Colombian Emeralds (Map p69; %242-322-2230;
Bay St, Nassau) Bright sparkling emeralds and
much more at this chain store.
John Bull (Map p69; %242-322-4252, Bay St, Nassau)
All the big names are here, such as Cartier
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and Tiffany & Co, as well as all the classic
perfumes.
Solomon’s Mines (Map p69; % 242-356-4362;
Bay St, Nassau) This chain sells jewels and
watches.
Linen Shop (Map p69; %242-322-4266; Bay St at
Frederick St, Nassau) Stocks…yep linen!
Perfume Shop (Map p69;%242-322-2375; Bay St at
Frederick St, Nassau) A vast collection of designer
sniffs.
Philatelic bureau (Map p69; % 242-322-3344;
E Hill St at Parliament St, Nassau) The main post
office sells collectible stamps.
Music
Cody’s Music & Video Centre (Map pp66-7; % 242-
323-8215; fax 242-323-2408; E Bay & Armstrong Sts, Nas-
sau) Carries a large stock of Bahamian and
Caribbean music.
Pyfroms (Map p69; %242-322-2603; Bay St) Head
here if you want to take a Junkanoo drum
or some CDs home.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
For information on international flights to
the Bahamas and Nassau please refer to p288.
For travel information between Nassau and
other Bahamian islands, please refer to those
destinations.
To reach Paradise Island, there are flights
operated by Chalk’s Ocean Airways (OP;% 1-800-
424-2557, 242-363-3114; www.flychalks.com; hubs Para-
dise Island Nassau & Fort Lauderdale), which uses the
seaplane landing.
GETTING AROUND
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
Nassau International Airport (NAS; Map pp64-5;
%242-377-7281) lies 5 miles west of the city.
There are no buses to or from the airport,
as the taxi-drivers’ union has things sewn
up. A few hotels do provide shuttle services,
and taxis also line the forecourts of hotels
and the area outside the arrivals lounge
of the airport. Call the day ahead to book
a taxi (%242-323-5111/4555). Rates are fixed
by the government and displayed at the
airport on the wall by the taxi-rank; all
destination rates are for two people with
standard luggage, while each additional
person costs $3.
One-way rates to/from the airport are
as follows: Cable Beach $15; downtown
Nassau and Prince George Wharf $22; and
Paradise Island $27.
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Taxi sightseeing rates are usually in the
vicinity of $50 per hour, which makes car
hire a very attractive option!
Bicycle
Ask at your hotel; most either have bicycles
for hire, or can arrange their availability
(from $10 per day).
On Paradise Island you can rent bicycles
from Club Land’Or ($10 daily) and at
Pirate’s Cove (around $20 per day). They’re
single-gear beach cruisers with back-pedal
brakes, but the island is flat and bicycling
should prove no hardship given the short
distances.
Boat
A two-level ferry departs Nassau for
Paradise Island from the cruise dock ($3
per person) every 30 minutes, 9:30am to
6pm, departing when full. It deposits pas-
sengers at the ferry terminal just west of
the Paradise Island Exit Bridge; ferries
for Nassau depart here on a regular basis.
You’ll see the signs or be hustled aboard by
touts.
Water taxis also ply the same route
between 8am and 6pm, but leave Nassau
from Woodes Rogers Walk. They will drop
you at any of the Paradise Island wharves
upon request.
Car & Scooter
You really don’t need a car to explore
Nassau, Cable Beach and Paradise Island or
to get to their beaches.
However if you intend to explore New
Providence, it’s worth saving the taxi fare
to and from Nassau by hiring a car at the
airport. Collision-damage waiver insurance
SCAM ALERT!
Some taxi drivers may try to charge the third
or fourth person the same rate as for two
people, or try to charge additional rates for
luggage once you reach your destination.
Don’t agree to these blatant scams – the
drivers normally will back down.
On the rare occasion they don’t back off,
take their license number and report them
the next day (% 242-323-5111/4555). Most
drivers are good folk who are appalled at
this sort of behavior.
N A S S AU • • G e t t i n g A r o u n d 97
NEW PROVIDENCE
costs $15 a day. For information on road
rules, see p294.
The following companies have rental
booths at the airport. (Dollar are the cheap-
est from around $80 per 24 hours).
Avis Airport (%242-377-7121); Cable Beach (%242-
322-2889); Paradise Island (%242-363-2061)
Budget Airport (%242-377-7405); Paradise Island (Map
p77; %242-363-3095)
Dollar Airport (%242-377-8300); Nassau (Map p69;
%242-325-3716; British Colonial Hilton Nassau, 1 Bay St)
Hertz Airport (%242-377-8684)
Several local companies also rent cars that
are cheaper, from about $55 daily. Ask your
hotel to suggest a company or try Orange
Creek Rentals (Map pp66-7; %242-323-4967, 800-891-
7655; fax 242-356-5005; W Bay St, Nassau).
Scooters are widely available and can be
found outside most major hotels. They cost
$50 a day.
Knowles Scooter Rentals (Map p69; %242-322-
3415; Welcome Centre, Festival Pl, Nassau) rents sco-
oters for $30/45 per half-day/day.
You can rent scooters from $40 to $50
daily from Club Land’Or and from rental
agencies at Pirate’s Cove.
Public Transportation
Nassau and New Providence are well served
by jitney buses, which run constantly from
6am to 8pm, although there are no fixed
schedules. No buses run to Paradise Island.
All jitney buses depart downtown from
Frederick St at Bay St and at designated
bus stops. Destinations are clearly marked
on the buses, which can be waved down.
Likewise to request a stop anywhere when
you’re onboard, simply ask the driver.
The standard fare is $1 (children $0.75),
paid to the driver upon exiting the bus.
Bus Number Destination
No6 South New Providence
Nos10 & 10A Cable Beach & Sandy Point
No38 Cable Beach & Prince George Wharf
via Over-the-Hill
Nos24 & 30 New Paradise Island Bridge
While there’s no bus service to Paradise
Island, you can catch Bus 24 or 30 from Fred-
erick St in downtown Nassau to the New
Paradise Island Bridge, and then walk over
to the island.
 © Lonely Planet Publications
NEW PROVIDENCE 98 A R O U N D N A S S AU • • W e s t N e w P r o v i d e n c e www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A R O U N D N A S S AU • • S o u t h N e w P r o v i d e n c e 99

The ‘Casino Express,’ operated by Atlan-
tis, runs a clockwise route throughout the
day and early evening on Paradise Island,
picking up and dropping off passengers at
major hotels; the fare is $1 for nonguests of
Atlantis.
Western Transportation runs hourly
buses from downtown Nassau (opposite the
British Colonial Hilton) to Lyford, South
Ocean and Compass Point ($2 one way). In
the evenings buses only depart from town
at 9pm and midnight.
Free shuttle buses run between the Cable
Beach hotels from 6pm to 2am.
pure rock-star fun, stay, eat and drink at
recording genius Chris Blackwell’s former
joint. Although this inn was likely to be
resold at the time of research, it was once
beloved by musicians recording at Compass
Point Studios across the road, as well as
by celebs like Naomi Campbell and Cindy
Crawford. The octagonal clapboard cottages
(some on stilts) boast large windows, cute
porches, conical beamed ceilings and rustic
yet tasteful furnishings, and edge up to the
turquoise sea. The beachside restaurant is
known for its wonderful breakfast dishes,
such as coconut French toast and hickory-
smoked salmon, as well as their lunch and
tiated a plan to restore Adelaide Creek, and
an army of volunteers and schoolchildren
from across New Providence showed up to
lend a hand. Donations flooded in to replace
the causeways with bridges. Finally, on
Earth Day the creek’s mouth was reopened
and a tidal creek was reborn. Almost im-
mediately marine life returned: crabs, shads
and even bonefish. Today baby tiger sharks,
barracudas, snappers, lobsters and vast
armadas of other young fish journey in
and out.
The village is fronted by narrow, white-
sand Adelaide Beach, extending between
South Ocean and the village. Fishing boats
NEW PROVIDENCE
Coral Harbour
Coral Harbour Rd leads south to this
residential marina community. Several dive
and sportfishing operators are based here
(see p79), and there’s a small beach. The
road turns west along the shore, becoming
Ranfurly Dr, and dead-ends at the base of
the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.
After Fidel Castro’s expropriation of the
Bacardi family’s rum factories during the
Cuban Revolution, the family set up its
business in other locales, including this site
east of Coral Harbour. The Bacardi Rum Factory
(%242-362-1412; cnr Bacardi & Carmichael Rds; htours
10am-3pm Mon-Thu) produces Bacardi rum (the

AROUND NASSAU dinner menus. The bar (open noon until

WEST NEW PROVIDENCE
Running west from Cable Beach on the
island’s north shore, W Bay St offers a
beautiful drive. The area is favored by the
wealthy, who live in upscale homes atop
the ridge.
Sights & Activities
One-and-a-half miles west of Delaport
Point you’ll pass the Caves, just east of Blake
Rd. This large cavern system once sheltered
Lucayan Indians. Just west is Orange Hill
Beach, shaded by sea grapes and palms.
It is undeveloped, except for the Orange
Hill Beach Inn (right) hidden on the bluff
overlooking the beach, and very popular
with Bahamian families.
West of Compass Point is Love Beach,
a small, little-used beach near Gambier
Village. It’s known for its snorkeling. Beyond
Love Beach, the road turns inland and curls
past the small settlement of Mt Pleasant and
around Lyford Cay, a sprawling walled estate
of manicured, tree-lined streets and canals
framed by glorious multimillion dollar
mansions. Here billionaires and celebrities –
Sean Connery for one – protect themselves
from the world.
Beyond the Commonwealth Brewery
you’ll pass the South Ocean Golf Course (%242-
362-4391, ext 6687; South Ocean Rd, West Providence) and
a 5-mile-long beach lining Southwest Bay.
Sleeping & Eating
Compass Point Inn (%242-327-4500; fax 242-327-
3299; W Bay St, Gambier Village; r $410, mains $12-35;
hbreakfast, lunch & dinner; pnais) For
late) attracts locals in the know, with an
extended happy hour from 4pm to 7pm.
are drawn up on the beach, and the wharf
is lively at sunset when the day’s work is
done.
family successfully sued the Castro regime for
the Bacardi title) from sugar imported from
other Caribbean islands. The free 30-minute
Live music adds to the fun on weekends. For yummy seafood and rum drinks, guided tours are for eight people or more,
Orange Hill Beach Inn (%242-327-7157; orange loiter at Avery’s Restaurant & Bar (%242-362- but you can hang around in the pavilion,
hil@batelnet.bs; W Bay St, Orange Hill; d $130, mains $15 1547; Adelaide Village; mains $10-20; hlunch & dinner), sampling free drinks in the hope that other
to $25; pnas) This casual family-run a very popular little restaurant and bar. visitors achieve a quorum.
place, on the bluff overlooking Orange Hill
Beach, is preferred for overnights in transit
between islands, and offers airport drop-
offs. The uninspiring rooms have contempor-
ary furniture, refrigerators, microwaves and
toasters. A simple traditional and burger
dinner menu changes daily and there’s also
a bar.
SOUTH NEW PROVIDENCE
Most of this region is backed by mangroves,
swampy wetlands and brine pools, parts of
which have been used for years as rubbish
dumps. Curiously, dozens of minor Christian
bodies have erected their little churches
along these roads.
On the southwest side of the island, South
Ocean Beach is narrow, secluded, several
miles long, and trodden by very few people.
You’ll find great scuba-diving offshore.
Adelaide
Adelaide is a quiet village whose nostalgic
lifestyle revolves around fishing. Visually it
isn’t noteworthy, but it is about as close as
you can get to traditional life on the island.
Seventeen miles southwest of Nassau on a
spit of land jutting into a navigable creek © Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
rich in conch, fish and lobster, the village restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
dates back to 1832 when it was founded for only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
slaves freed from a Portuguese slave trader,
A hurricane in 1926 wrecked the harbor. everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying
In 1990 the Bahamas National Trust ini- the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’
 © Lonely Planet Publications
100 www.lonelyplanet.com
History
Grand Bahama
Juan Ponce de León visited Grand Bahama
in 1513 while searching for the Fountain
of Youth, and pirates marauded their way
around the island during the 17th and 18th
centuries. The islanders benefited from the
pirates’ spoils, and briefly from acting as a
supply depot for the Confederacy during
This island is for those who love to spend their days immersed in nature, and then relish the the US Civil War. Another prosperous time
pleasures of a lively bar, good restaurant and comfortable hotel at night. It is also a cheaper came when Grand Bahama acted as a staging
and less frenetic place to be than New Providence, despite being the Bahamas second-most post for rumrunners during Prohibition.
For many decades the islanders then
GRAND BAHAMA
popular stop.
lived meagerly from the proceeds of lum-
The flat, narrow 85 mile-long island is blanketed by miles of upright Cuban pines and bering, fishing and diving for sponges, until
the 1950s when American Wallace Groves
dwarf palms and the glorious Lucayan National Park. Grand Bahama’s south shore is edged
and Brit Sir Charles Hayward developed
with sugar-white beaches and the warm aquamarine sea. Turtles occasionally emerge from the area. This turned a vast, uninhabited
these waters to nest at Gold Rock Creek, Hawksbill Creek and High Rock. area into a town known as Freeport, com-
plete with an airport and a port with an
The north shore’s mangrove and wetland habitats host colorful birdlife and raccoons oil-bunkering storage complex that would
meander in the undergrowth. A bracelet of cays to the east is home to the island’s fishing prove a bonanza for the Bahamas. (Oil is
industry and villages. still purchased, stored and resold to the US
at a handsome profit.)
Little curly-tailed lizards are everywhere, scurrying across the sands and pavements of the The British crown then granted permis-
hotels, golf courses and marinas that are concentrated around Freeport and Lucaya. sion for these men to buy and develop a
further 150,000 acres of the island’s mid-
The small bars and restaurants of these tourism centers resound with chatter and laugh- dle section, which led to the destruction
ter in the evenings, while strollers choose to enjoy the stars. At weekends goombay and of the remaining West Indian and British
architecture. Initial plans for tourism floun-
reggae rhythms take over Count Basie Plaza, and the adjacent lively market stalls abound dered, and Freeport was then (optimisti-
with colorful clothing and woven accessories. cally) promoted as an offshore financial and
high-technology industrial center.
Families will appreciate the affordable resorts that provide a heap of beachside and indoor The city is still overseen by the Grand
activities for children. The scuba-diving is also fabulous, including opportunities to dive Bahama Port Authority, or ‘The Port,’ set
with wild dolphins, while some great ecotours take you kayaking, bicycling and snorkeling up by Groves. It maintains strict zoning
through a range of habitats, including the stunning marine parks. laws, assesses all business licenses, and has
the same defining role in matters of com-
mercial probity as the Christian Council
has in Nassau.
HIGHLIGHTS In 1996 a development group, Sun &
! Kayak (p109) through mangrove forests, find the world’s longest underground cavern and Sea Estates, began a major redevelopment
snorkel with fish in Lucayan National Park project in Lucaya. The five-year, $290 mil-
lion multiresort project has integrated exist-
! Lounge on the deck of Churchill Beach’s Club Caribe (p114), toasting the ocean
ing hotels with new hotels, vacation clubs,
with a cold beer, before the fun of the Friday night pig roast begins
restaurants, shops, theme parks, a new golf
! Gallop on horseback (p108) along a deserted southern course and golf school, and a marina.
beach at sunset Lucayan
National Park Many hoped that this massive invest-
! Watch Freeport’s Conchman Triathlon Churchill
ment would do for Grand Bahama what
(p110) competitors strain their way to glory Beach
Southern
the Atlantis resort (p78) did for Paradise
Beaches Island. It is certainly successful. However,
! Dive in the company of wild dolphins
hurricanes such as Frances and Jeanne in
(p107) around coral reefs Freeport
Lagoon with 2004, badly damaged residential commu-
wild dolphins
nities, nature reserves and woodlands, as
! TELEPHONE CODE: 242 ! POPULATION: 49,566 ! AREA: 530 SQ MILES
well as many hotels, and certainly damp-
ened the island’s hopes.
G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 101
National Parks
Grand Bahama has some of the country’s
best parks, which are perfect for those in-
terested in hiking, biking and kayaking, as
well as those wanting to sunbathe, stroll
and lounge in the shallows! For more in-
formation see p39.
Lucayan National Park (p118) contains the
world’s longest known underwater cave
and cavern system, with caves that are habi-
tats for rare underground crustaceans and
migratory bats, and mangrove wetlands.
GRAND BAHAMA
Peterson Cay National Park (p118) is a one to
1½-acre cay that has a striking coral garden.
Another ocean delight is Walker’s Cay
(p173), where several dive operators from
Grand Bahama venture to, while the 100-
acre Rand Memorial Nature Centre (p103) has
distinctive flora and fauna.
Dangers & Annoyances
Be careful downtown near Winn Dixie Plaza
in Freeport and at Pinder’s Point and Eight
Mile at night. There have been issues with
street lighting in some of these areas since
the 2004 hurricanes, and there have been
some reports of drug-related violence.
Getting There & Away
Most travelers to Grand Bahama fly into
Freeport International Airport, 2 miles north
of Freeport, or arrive at Freeport Harbour
on the weekly mail boat from Nassau, a
fast ferry from Florida or an international
cruise ship.
Getting Around
You’ll need your own transport if you want
to explore the island outside of Freeport
or Lucaya, although these two centers are
linked by a regular stream of jitney buses.
Car rental agencies are located at the air-
port, and boats can also be easily hired.
FREEPORT & LUCAYA
pop 46,535
Freeport has the characteristic wide, grid-
style streets and simple modern buildings of
a planned city, but sadly no real community
feeling or defined center. Downtown has only
a few shops, banks and businesses. Conse-
quently many tourists (wrongly) believe that
Freeport’s center is around the International
Bazaar and Crowne Plaza Resort & Casino
Complex, where the hotels are based.
 102 G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 103

GRAND BAHAMA 0
0
20 km
12 miles
FedEx (Map pp104-5; %242-352-3402; www.fedex.com;
Seventeen Plaza, cnr Bank Lane & Explorers Way, Freeport)
A B C D E F
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Conch Wharf..................................................1 B3
TRANSPORT
Cruise Ship Port................................13 B3
TELEPHONE
Old Free Town...............................................2 C3 Freeport Harbour..............................14 B3 Great 27º00'N BaTelCo (Map pp104-5;%242-352-6220; Pioneer’s Way,
USAAF Station (Abandoned)..........................3 D3 Government Ferry.............................15 E3 Sale Cay
1 Old Bahama Bay Marina..................(see 6)
1 Freeport) Offers telephone and fax services.
SLEEPING
Bishop's Bonefish Resort, Restaurant & Bar.....4 E3
Bro’s................................................................5 E3 Mangrove Little Abaco TOURIST INFORMATION
Cay
Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbour.......6 A2 Newspapers such as the daily Freeport News
Paradise Cove.................................................7 A3
Pelican Point Lodge.........................................8 E3 (published Monday to Saturday in the after-
Twin Gables....................................................9 E3
Little Bahama Bank 26º50'N
noons) and the monthly Freeport Times
are both worth checking out for arts and
GRAND BAHAMA

GRAND BAHAMA
Cross
EATING Cays
Breezes Bar & Restaurant..............................(see 8)
Water
entertainment information as well as any
Buccaneer Club.............................................10 A3
Cooper's Convenience Store.........................(see 5)
Cay upcoming sporting events.
2 Smitty’s One Stop Shop................................11 D3 Water Cay
2 What-to-do in Freeport/Lucaya, Grand
Star Hotel Restaurant & Lounge...................12 A2
Village Tavern & Takeout...........................(see 12) Bahama is full of handy information and
6
Indian Cay discount coupons, while Island Magazine
West 12
Pelican
Rocky
Creek McLean’s
August Cay
26º40'N
provides information on shopping, dining,
End Q Grand Bahama Point Town
Big Harbour Cay
and entertainment. Discover Port Lucaya has
ue Symonette
en 15 Little Harbour Cay
Wilschcombe Hw
’s Cay
Grant Lucayan
Waterway
Lucayan
National
11
3 4 5
Deep Water Cay Sweeting's Cay
a map of Port Lucaya and discount coupons.
Crab Cay Pelican 8
Bay y
See Lucaya & Freeport B a ham
a
Park
y Freetown
High
Rock
Point 9 All are free publications and can be located
Deadman’s Reef H w Beach
10
Holmes
Rock
Map (pp104–5) Gran
d
2 Gold Rock Beach
Lightbourne
Cay
in hotel lobbies and tourism outlets.
Paradise Cove Freeport
International
Peterson Cay Pillar Castle Also visit the following for information
3 National Park 3
7 Eight
Mile
1
Airport
Barbary Beach on local events and activities.
Lucaya Churchill
Hawksbill Creek
14
Freeport Beach
Fortune
Beach
Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board (www.grand
Pinder's Point 13 26º30'N
Lucaya Beach
Northwest Providence Channel -bahama.com) Main Office (Map pp104-5; %242-325-
Theo
Wreck Zanadu
Beach 8356); Tourism Booth (Map pp104-5; h242-352-8356;
79º00'W 78º50'W 78º40'W 78º30'W 78º20'W 78º10'W 78º00'W 77º50'W
International Bazaar, Freeport)
Tourism Booth, Freeport International Airport
Lucaya is welldesigned and is a nicer Complimentary copies of the Grand Lucayan Medical Centre East (Map pp104-5;%242- (Map pp104-5; %242-352-2052)
option for those on holiday. It is antisep- Bahamas Trailblazer Map are obtainable 373-7400; E Sunrise Hwy, Lucaya)
tic, but there is a great stretch of beach from most hotel lobbies and tourist retail Lucayan Medical Centre West (Map pp104-5; Sights
and it is possible to walk easily and safely outlets. %242-352-7288; Adventurers Way, Freeport) INTERNATIONAL BAZAAR
to surrounding bars, hotels and restaur- Rand Memorial Hospital (Map pp104-5; This small, overrated marketplace (Map pp104-5;
ants. Although Freeport has marginally Information %242-352-6735; E Atlantic Dr, Freeport) Freeport) lies beyond the Japanese torii (gates)
cheaper accommodation, the facilities in BOOKSTORES & LIBRARIES Sunrise Medical Centre & Hospital (Map pp104-5; on the northwest side of Ranfurly Circle. Ig-
Lucaya are more centralized and offer Charles Hayward Library (Map pp104-5; %242-373-3333; E Sunrise Hwy, Lucaya) nore the hype; this is not a center of life and
more choice. %242-352-7048; E Mall Dr, Freeport) activity. There is a small number of tourist
H&L Bookstore (Map pp104-5;%242-373-8947; MONEY shops worth browsing and some very dis-
Orientation Pt Lucaya Marketplace & Village) Bank of the Bahamas (Map pp104-5;%242-352- appointing eateries. Some of the businesses
Freeport’s town center lies 1 mile north 7483; cnr Bank Lane & Woodstock St, Freeport) open daily, but others open only when a
of the International Bazaar between West EMERGENCY British American Bank (Map pp104-5;%242-352- cruise ship is in town.
Mall and East Mall Dr. At its heart is Winn Ambulance (%242-352-2689, 911) 6676; East Mall Dr, Freeport)
Dixie Plaza, but the hotels are located a mile Emergency (%911) First Caribbean International Bank (Map pp104-5; RAND MEMORIAL NATURE CENTRE
south of downtown, centered on Ranfurly Police (%911) %242-352-6651; E Mall Dr, Freeport) This headquarters of the Bahamas National
Circle and the International Bazaar. Royal Bank of Canada (Map pp104–5; %242-352- Trust is a rewarding 100-acre nature retreat.
E Sunrise Hwy runs from Ranfurly Cir- INTERNET ACCESS 6631; cnr E Mall Dr & Explorers Way, Freeport) In 1969 the centre (Map pp104-5; %242-352-5438;
cle in Freeport towards Lucaya, where Log on Cyber Café (Map pp104-5; %242-559-0111; Scotiabank (Map pp104-5; %242-352-6774; Regent East Settlers Way, Freeport; adult/child $5/3; h9am-4pm
Seahorse Rd turns off to the heart of the Pt Lucaya Marketplace & Village; per 15min $5; h9am- Centre, Freeport) Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) was established as a living
Lucaya hotel district. Taino, Churchill, and 10pm) For long-distance calls and Internet – although Western Union (Map pp104-5; %242-352-6676) memorial to Freeport philanthropist James
Fortune Beaches extend east from Lucaya. rates are expensive. Based at the British American Bank. Rand. There are more than 130 native plant
The Grand Bahama Hwy will take you to species including a number of weird and
the east end of the island and McLean’s MEDICAL SERVICES POST wonderful orchids and a native coppice that
Town. Queen’s Hwy will take you to the LMR Drugs (Map pp104-5;%242-352-7327; 1 W Mall Post office (Map pp104-5;%242-352-9371; Explorers has grown here since before the time of Co-
West End of Grand Bahama. Dr, Freeport; h8am-9pm Mon-Sat) Way, Freeport) lumbus.
 104 G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 105

FREEPORT & LUCAYA 0

0
2 km
1 mile

A B C D E F G H
INFORMATION Police Station...................................13 G5 Lucayan Marina Village.................... 22 H5 Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach......... 48 G3 Pub on the Mall.............................(see 51) Les Parisiennes...............................(see 68)
Bank of the Bahamas..........................1 B2 Post Office.......................................14 A2 Nautical Adventures.......................(see 77) Xanadu Beach Resort & Marina....... 49 D5 Rum Runners.................................(see 58) Linens of Lucaya............................(see 68)
BaTelCo.............................................2 A3 Rand Memorial Hospital...................15 B2 Parrot Jungle’s Garden of the Grove..23 H3 Shenanigan's Irish Pub...................(see 58) Nautica Boutique............................(see 68)
British American Bank.........................3 B2 Royal Bank of Canada......................16 B2 Pinetree Stables................................24 E4 EATING Tranquillity Shores............................59 F4 Needful Tings.................................(see 68)
1 1
Charles Hayward Library.....................4 B3 Scotiabank.......................................17 A2 Pirates of The Bahamas Beach Café Michel's...................................(see 7) Paradise Jewels...............................(see 64)
Federal Express...................................5 A2 Sunrise Medical Centre.................... 18 D4 Theme Park..................................25 H5 Caribbean Café..............................(see 54) ENTERTAINMENT Parfum de Paris..............................(see 64)
First Caribbean International Bank......6 B3 Tourist Information.......................... 19 D3 Regency Theatre..............................26 C4 Club Caribe...................................... 50 G4 Amnesia...........................................60 B4 Perfume Factory.............................(see 64)
Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board..(see 7) Western Union.................................(see 3) RND Cinemas...................................27 B4 Coconut's Beach Illusion's Jazz Club.........................(see 66) Plaka..............................................(see 65)
International Bazaar: Info & Eating.....7 A5 UNEXSO.......................................... 28 G5 Restaurant & Bar.........................(see 39) Prop Club Beach & Bar Restaurant..(see 42) Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village...66 G5
LMR Drugs.........................................8 A2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Water World................................... 29 D4 Gelati Silvano’s.................................51 B5 Safari Lounge Dance Club & Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village:
Log on Cyber Café.........................(see 66) Caribbean Divers............................(see 32) Watersports..................................... 30 G5 Geneva’s Place.................................52 B3 Restaurant....................................61 B2 Art............................................... 67 G5
Lucayan Medical Centre East..............9 E4 Dolphin Experience........................(see 37) Xanadu Undersea Adventures.......... 31 D5 Islander's Roost..............................(see 51) Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village:
Lucayan Medical Centre West..........10 A3 Grand Bahama Brewing Company... 20 D4 Le Rendezvous.................................(see 7) SHOPPING Shopping..................................... 68 G5
GRAND BAHAMA

GRAND BAHAMA
Police............................................... 11 A5 Hydroflora Gardens..........................21 D4 SLEEPING Luciano's........................................(see 54) Androsia........................................(see 68) Smoker's World.............................(see 65)
Hwy
Police Station...................................12 A3 Isle of Capri Casino........................(see 42) Bell Channel Inn............................... 32 G5 Pepperpot.........................................53 E4 Bahamas Coin & Stamp..................(see 65) Straw h amaMarket................................... 69 G5
d Ba
Best Western Castaways Resort........33 B4 Pisces Seafood Restaurant..............(see 54) Bahamian Tings..............................(see 65) Gran Tiffographs....................................(see 67)
Coral Beach Hotel.............................34 E5 Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village: Buck’s Record Gallery.......................62 B3
2 17 Crowne Plaza Golf Resort & Casino..35 A5 Eating..........................................54 G5 Columbian Emeralds International..(see 64) TRANSPORT 2
Explorers Way Grand Lucayan Waterway
8 14 Crowne Plaza Golf Resort & Casino..36 A5 Produce Market.............................(see 57) Far East Traders..............................(see 65) Bus Station....................................... 70 A2
16 61 38 Flamingo Bay Yacht Club And Ruby Swiss.......................................55 D4 Flovin Gallery.................................(see 65) Bus Stop...........................................71 G5
1 Marina......................................... 37 G4 Solomon's Food Court.....................(see 7) Goldylocks Jewelry.........................(see 64) Gas Station.......................................72 A2
Winn Dixie
72 Plaza Island Palm Resort............................38 B2 Stoned Crab.....................................56 F4 Goombay Gardens...........................63 A5 Gas Station.......................................73 C3
15 Island Seas Resort.............................39 E5 Western Bakery................................57 A3 Intercity Music...............................(see 66) Gas Station.......................................74 C3
70 5 3 Lakeview Manor Club......................40 C4 Zorba's.............................................(see 7) International Bazaar: Luxury Goods..64 A5 Gas Station...................................... 75 D3
57 Ocean Reef Yacht Club & Resort......41 E5 Zorba's...........................................(see 54) International Bazaar: Souvenirs & Grand Bahama Port Authority...........76 B3
Town Centre Churchill
Mall Square 4 Our Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort.... 42 G5 Art............................................... 65 A5 Port Lucaya Marina..........................77 G5
62 Pelican Bay at Lucaya....................... 43 G5 DRINKING Island Galleria.................................(see 65) Running Mon Resort & Marina........78 C5
76
12 Pioneers Way Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht Club.... 44 G5 Happy Bar & Lounge......................(see 58) Jewelers Warehouse.......................(see
E 68)
Be
6 Royal Islander Hotel..........................45 B5 Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village: Jewellery Box.................................(see
ac 68)
E Atlantic Dr

2 h
Running Mon Resort & Marina........ 46 D5 Drinking.......................................
Corn 58 G5 Leather Shop..................................(see
Rd 64) 23
E Mall Dr

Mag
Kipling La Taino Beach Resort & Marina........... 47 H5 wall
Pub at Lucaya................................(see 58) Leo's Art Gallery.............................(see 67)
3 Dr 3
W Mall Dr

ellan
y
Hw Fortune Hills Golf To Lucayan
W Atlantic Dr

52
a ma & Country Club National Park (9mi);
Freeport 19 Bah

Dr
nd McLeans Town (43mi)
International Gra

Be
Q

Airport

ac
ue

Rd

h
10
en

Cove 73

Rd
s

Adventurers Way E Settlers Way 48 Fortune Beach

Ba
75

lao
Serg
y 74 Rand
Hw 20

Rd
Freeport n's Memorial

eant
ee Rd
Qu od
Nature Centre 50
wo See Freeport y
Rd y Dr
Hw

M
0 400 m Log Enlargement a ain

ajo
e an B
E Mall Dr

ris
W Mall Dr

0 0.2 miles m h M Churchill Beach

n

r Dr
Su ship el anis
E Our Lucaya id Sp
40 9 M n
Lucayan n
4 53 Course a 37 Sanctuary 4

Co
27 26 Freeport Ponciana Dr h Bay

ral
C Taino
Ponciana Dr Ruby Golf 59 Beach

Rd
24 Lucaya l
33 Course 55 18
l 56
B e
W Sunrise Hwy E Sunrise Hwy Our Lucaya

Beachway Dr
60 21 29 Lucayan Course Rd
To Pinder's Point (3mi); man
The Mall

West End (9mi) ship

Emerald Mid
Golf East Beach Rd 22
45 Course 41 34 r
See Lucaya 54 er D
Enlargement 58 Lucaya Rog
Lucaya 32 66 Jolly 47 25
11 Beach 44 67
7 43 68
28

Se
71 Bell Channel

a
64 77
5 5

Ho
65 ll St 39
36 f-Ca Our

rse
78 46 -o 69
51 Port Silver Lucaya Lucaya

Rd
63 Ranfurly Beach
Point Reef 13 42
Circle Xanadu 31 49 Beach Course
Beach Northwest Providence Channel 30 0 400 800 m
35
0 400 800 yards

It’s worth making a reservation for a keeps the flamingos’ pond-water free of Raccoons and red-eared turtles also call HYDROFLORA GARDENS
guided tour along the half-mile trail that mosquito larvae. this park home, as do butterflies, tree frogs, These landscaped gardens (Map pp104-5; %242-
meanders through numerous acres of cop- Rand is a gathering spot for the endan- some harmless snakes and the curly-tailed 352-6052; cnr East Beach Dr at E Sunrise Hwy, Freeport; adult/
pice and pine trees. The tour highlights gered Bahama parrot, Cuban emerald hum- lizards that nervously rush everywhere. child $3/1.50; h9am-4pm) abounds in shrubs,
bush medicine plants, and heads towards mingbirds, the tiny yet stunning parula, There’s also a replica of a Lucayan village tropical fruit trees, and fragrant foliage. High-
a relatively small flock of striding West and Antillean peewees. Also spotted are and a gift shop. Guided walks are avail- lights include a rock garden, bush medicine
Indian flamingos. Interestingly, a small red-tailed hawks, great blue herons, egrets, able at 10am Monday to Friday; bookings plants and a hydroponics garden. Call ahead
indigenous fish, the Bahamian gambusia, kingfishers and ospreys. required. if you want to take a guided tour ($6).
 106 G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a
PORT LUCAYA MARKETPLACE & VILLAGE
This village (Map pp104–5) is an attractive,
low-key waterfront shopping, dining and
entertainment precinct that is opposite Our
Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort (p111). It is
much more appealing than the Interna-
tional Bazaar; at its heart beats Count Basie
Sq, where everyone from church choirs to
Junkanoo bands performs at weekends and
on public holidays.
PARROT JUNGLE’S GARDEN OF THE GROVE
GRAND BAHAMA
This 12-acre lush garden (Map pp104-5; %242-
373-5668; www.gardenofthegroves.com; Midshipman Rd
& Magellan Dr, Freeport; adult/child $10/7; h9am-4pm)
had been closed for renovations, so check
ahead for updated opening times. There are
thousands of species of semitropical plants,
a 400ft-long (122m-long) fern gully and a
hanging garden, as well as four waterfalls
cascading into a placid lake that is ringed
with tropical foliage. For children, the high-
light is a petting zoo with African pygmy
goats, Bahamian raccoons and cuddly Viet-
namese pot-bellied pigs as well as caged
parrots and flamingos.
The gardens contain a peaceful hillside
chapel (used for wedding parties), scenic
trails and an on-site café.
GRAND BAHAMA BREWING COMPANY
The island’s only brewery (Map pp104-5; %242-
351-5191; Logwood Rd, Freeport; h Mon-Fri) wel-
comes visitors during business hours to try
and buy their Hammerhead Amber Ale and
Stout and Lucayan lagers.
BEACHES
The island has gorgeous beaches that suit all
moods and tastes. Most of the beaches close
to Freeport and Lucaya can be reached via
hotel courtesy buses or on foot. To go fur-
ther afield you will need your own trans-
port or to take an organized tour, but it will
be well worth it. The beaches outside the
main tourist centers, such as the stunning
Gold Rock Beach at Lucayan National Park,
are superb and offer tranquility as well as
azure seas and white-sand beaches.
Xanadu Beach (Map pp104–5) is a white-
sand beach at the southern end of the Mall,
and is the most accessible beach from down-
town. It extends westward about a half-mile
and although not one of Grand Bahama’s
most lavish beaches, it is great for a day of
www.lonelyplanet.com
sunning or splashing around in the shal-
lows. The beach is dominated by the Xanadu
Beach Resort & Marina (p112); a snack bar
opens and water sports are on offer when
the resort is busy or over the Christmas and
Easter breaks. A dive operation is conven-
iently located onsite.
Silver Point Beach (Map pp104–5) is a nar-
row stretch of beach east of Xanadu Beach.
(They are separated by two marina channels
and Silver Point Beach can be accessed from
Beachway Dr.) There are a few hawkers,
which can be off-putting, but the shallow
waters are popular with families and water
sports are available year-round. The Island
Seas Resort (p112) stands at the eastern end,
beside another harbor channel separating
Silver Point Beach from Lucaya Beach.
Stunning Lucaya Beach (Map pp104–5)
runs from the marina to Bell Channel, at the
mouth of the Port Lucaya Harbour. There
are a long stretch of white sand, water sports
and a beach bar (adjacent to the Our Lu-
cayan Beach & Golf Resort) that also whips
up burgers and snacks. The central part of
the beach doesn’t have as many resort guests
and is great for a stroll. The beach can also
be accessed from various suburban roads.
East of Bell Channel lays the long and
languorous Taino Beach (Map pp104–5) with
talcum-powder sand and occasional water
sports, as well as the Taino Beach Resort
(p112) condos. Most of the year there are few
people here, making it even more attractive
to those who prefer solitude. To the north of
the beach is the waterfront residential com-
munity of Smith’s Point.
Two of the most gorgeous beaches, Chur-
chill and Fortune (Map pp104–5), extend
several miles east of Taino Beach, separated
by Sanctuary Bay, a marina complex lined
with the holiday homes of the well-heeled.
The Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach (p112)
sits behind Fortune Beach but there is
plenty of space for all to enjoy the beauty
of these beaches.
Farther east, beyond the Grand Lucayan
Waterway, is secluded and Barbary Beach
(Map pp102–3). Each spring its shoreline
bursts into bloom with white spider lilies.
Activities
DIVING & SNORKELING
The diving here is considered some of the
best in the Bahamas. As well as the dolphin,
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shark and cave dives, wreck-dive fans will
love the thrill of swimming through Theo, a
240ft-long sunken freighter, where you can
safely wiggle through the hold and engine
room, and visit the friendly resident moray
eels. Other enjoyable wrecks include two
Spanish galleons, the Santa Gertrude and
San Ignacio, which ran aground in 1682 off
the south shore near present-day Lucaya.
Another popular dive spot is East End
Paradise, an underwater coral range.
All dive operators offer snorkel trips that
include transportation (adult/child $45/30).
Some of the more popular and established
dive and snorkel operators include:
Underwater Explorers Society, UNEXSO (Map
pp104-5;%242-373-1244; www.unexso.com; Pt
Lucaya Marina) Offers facilities for those wanting to
qualify as scuba divers. They also have a full range of dive
programs, including a two-tank dive for $70; equipment
hire is $43. A four-hour learning to dive course ($90) is
available as well as specialist dives with wild dolphins
and sharks. Reservations are required.
Xanadu Undersea Adventures (Map pp104–5;
%242-352-3811; www.xanadudive.com; Xanadu
Beach & Marina, Freeport) Offers two-tank dives ($70),
night dives ($55) and PADI certification courses ($450).
There are reduced rates if you buy a minimum of 10
dives (which can be shared amongst divers).
Caribbean Divers (Map pp104–5; %242-373-9111;
Bell Channel Inn, Pt Lucaya Marina) Runs NAUI certification
courses ($350) and offers various dive options including
two-tank dives ($65) and night dives ($70).
Pat & Diane Fantasia Tours (%242-373-8681;
www.snorkelingbahamas.com; adult/child $35/18) Offers
two-hour snorkeling and fish-feeding trips to shallow coral
reefs on their Snorkeling Sea Safari. The trip on their 72ft
catamaran, which has an in-built 30ft waterslide and a
20ft rock-climbing wall is great fun.
Reef Tours (%242-373-5880; www.bahamasvg
.com/reeftours) Offers snorkeling and fish-feeding tours
(adult/child $35/16) and a fabulous sailing and snorkel
tour (adult/child $45/25).
Paradise Cove (%242-349-2677; www.deadmansreef
.com) There is a vibrant reef in the shallows just off the cove
here. Unless you’re staying at the resort (p120), pay your ac-
cess fee ($3), hire your snorkel gear ($10 per day) and jump
in. Guided snorkeling tours are also available and include
snorkel hire, lunch and transportation (adult/child $35/23).
Cave Diving
Experienced divers can check out Ben’s
Cave, part of Lucayan National Park, by
following cables through 7 miles of under-
water caves. A permit must first be obtained
G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 107
from Underwater Explorers Society, UNEXSO (Map
pp104-5;%242-373-1244; www.unexso.com; Pt Lucaya
Marina).
DOLPHIN & SHARK ENCOUNTERS
There are some great options here for en-
counters with dolphins that live in a lagoon,
but also swim freely in the ocean. The Close
Encounter trip run by UNEXSO (adult/
child aged 4 and under $75/free) is great for
nondivers and children, who receive an ed-
ucational lecture and then stand waist-deep
GRAND BAHAMA
in a sheltered lagoon, where they meet dol-
phins well-accustomed to humans.
You can swim in the lagoon with the
dolphins ($170), while on a full-day Open
Ocean Dolphin Experience ($200) you will
learn how to interact with dolphins from
the lagoon using hand signals, but in the
outer ocean.
A Dolphin Dive trip ($160) involves en-
joying these creatures’ company in the outer
ocean. All of these are hugely popular activ-
ities and advance bookings are required.
Adrenaline junkies will jump at the
chance to dive among feeding Caribbean
reef sharks at Shark Junction. Two divers
armed with sticks are on hand to ward off
wayward sharks. A cameraperson will record
your experience on video for an extra fee.
The dive adds $40 to normal dive rates and
reservations are necessary.
BONEFISHING & SPORTFISHING
The Gulf Stream, off the west coast of Grand
Bahama, teems with game fish. The North-
west Providence Channel drops to 2000ft
just 400yd off the south shore, where snap-
per and barracuda are prevalent. And bone-
fishing (half-/full-day $250/350) is superb
on the flats of the Little Bahama Bank to the
north and east of the island.
Deep-sea fishing per person costs around
$70 to $90 per half-day. Night Hawk Fishing
(Map pp104-5; %242-373-7226; Pt Lucaya Marina) of-
fers half-day charter fishing trips from $65.
Other chapter operators include:
HG Forbes Charters & Tours (p109; %242-352-9311;
bahamas@forbescharter.com)
Nautical Adventures (Map pp104-5; %242-373-
7180; Port Lucaya Marina)
Reef Tours (%242-373-5880; www.bahamasvg
.com/reeftours)
Running Mon Marina (Map pp104–5; %242-352-
6834; close to Xanadu Beach)
 108 G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a
BOAT EXCURSIONS
There is a range of different trips offering
underwater sightseeing, beach parties, on-
board dining, dancing and partying.
Most hotels have booking desks for these
tours. If your hotel doesn’t, walk into the
nearest one and book from there. Transfers
are usually provided. If your time on the
island is limited, see opposite as some opera-
tors combine land and water excursions.
Pat & Diane Fantasia Tours (%242-373-8681;
www.snorkelingbahamas.com) run snorkeling trips
GRAND BAHAMA
as well as a Steak & Lobster Cruise (adult/
child $70/45), an adults-only Mango Tango
Evening Cruise ($35), and a Deserted Island
& Beach Party trip (adult/child $70/40)
where you head off to the marine park at
Peterson Cay for snorkeling and then on
to private beaches for swimming, sunning,
lunch and drinks.
Reef Tours (% 242-373-5880; www.bahamasvg
.com/reeftours) has a Sunset Bar Sailing Cruise
($40) and a glass-bottomed boat tour, where
a diver feeds fish underwater for your bene-
fit (adult/child $25/15). Fish-feeding is also
on offer (adult/child $45/30).
Superior Watersports (%242-373-7863) runs
two very popular party tours on board the
Bahama Mama. The Robinson Crusoe Beach
Party includes a 1½-hour snorkeling trip
followed by lunch, drinks and beach games
on a deserted beach (adult/child $60/40)
and the Bahama Mama Booze Cruise which
is a drink and dance party (hot and cold
hors d’oeuvres, and all the Bahama Mama
cocktails and wine you can drink) held on
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday ($30).
Dinner cruises with limbo dancing (adult/
child $70/45) and sunset dinner cruises
($40) are also on offer.
Seaworld Explorer (%242-373-7863; adult/child
$40/25) offers a two-hour trip on a glass-
bottomed boat which saves your hairdo and
brings you closer to the marine world.
WATER SPORTS
Most resort hotels rent snorkel gear ($10),
sea kayaks ($20), Sunfish dinghies ($20)
and equipment for other water sports. In-
dependent concessions on most beaches
offer parasailing ($60), banana boat rides
(adult/child $15/10), waterskiing ($40) and
windsurfing ($30).
Ocean Motion (%242-374-2425; oceanltd@batelnet
.bs; Our Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort, Lucaya) has virtually
www.lonelyplanet.com
every water sport under the sun, including
water trampolines (half-day $10), and also
rents out boats (half-/full-day $130/260).
Paradise Watersports (%242-373-4001; pwsports@
batelnet.bs; Island Seas Beach & Viva Wyndham Fortuna
Beach) has water sports including waverun-
ners ($60 per 30 min).
Sea Affairs Watersports (%242-352-9311; Xanadu
Beach Resort & Marina) rents out glass-bottomed
kayaks ($20 per day).
GOLF
The island has five championship courses,
and all clubs rent equipment and carts.
The Emerald & Ruby Golf Courses are
part of the Crowne Plaza Golf Resort & Ca-
sino (p110) and Royal Oasis complex, which
was undergoing extensive renovations dur-
ing 2005. Green fees are $95 for 18 holes.
Fortune Hills Golf & Country Club (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-4500; E Sunrise Hwy, Freeport) is popular
with beginners. Games cost $70.
Our Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-1066; Balao & Midshipman Rds, Lucaya) con-
tains plenty of water hazards. The Butch
Harmon School of Golf is based here. Har-
mon, an ex-PGA touring pro, was credited
with modifying Tiger Wood’s game. Green
fees are $120.
Reef Golf Course (Map pp104-5; %242-373-2002;
Seahorse Rd) is the island’s largest course at
6920yd. Games are $120.
HORSEBACK RIDING
There are some grand places on the island
to take a horse for a gallop, and both experi-
enced and amateur riders are welcomed by
operators.
Pinetree Stables (Map pp104-5; %242-373-3600;
www.pinetree-stables.com; Beachway Dr; $75) takes
two-hour horseback rides, where you gal-
lop through pine forests, along the southern
shore and through the shallows.
Trikk Pony Adventures (%242-374-4449; leo@
trikkpony.com) offers free transportation for its
1½-hour beach horseback rides ($75). The
operators say you will get wet when rid-
ing through the surf. For those inclined to
make the most of these glorious romantic
sunsets, horses can also be provided for
weddings.
TENNIS
Most resorts have tennis courts and will
rent out courts and equipment to ‘walk-ins’
www.lonelyplanet.com
and guests. Typical hourly fees are $10 to
$20 or $20 to $28 for night play.
Our Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-1333; www.ourlucaya.com; Seahorse Rd,
Lucaya) Has grass, hard and clay courts that are lit at night.
Crowne Plaza Golf Resort & Casino (Map pp104-5;
%242-350-7000; www.theroyaloasis.com; W Mall Dr & W
Atlantic Av, Freeport) Several hard courts are lit at night.
Xanadu Beach Resort & Marina (Map pp104-5;
%242-352-6783; www.xanadubeachhotel.com) Will also
hire out their hard courts to nonguests.
Tours
One way of seeing the sights would be to
book a taxi through the Grand Bahama Taxi
Union (%242-352-7858/7101). Expect to pay about
$50 per hour.
CITY TOURS & FURTHER AFIELD
All the hotels can book you onto city bus
tours (adult/child $25/18). These will gen-
erally take you to Freeport’s International
Bazaar (p103), liquor stores as well as the
Parrot Jungle’s Garden of the Groves (p106).
Entry fees are included in the price.
HG Forbes Charter & Tours (%242-352-9311;
bahamas@forbescharter.com) offers the Super Com-
bination Tour (adult/child $35/25), a similar
tour to the East End that also takes in Mil-
lionaire Row and the home of Count Basie,
as well as the West End Tour that includes
Eight Mile Rock and covers local history and
folklore (adult/child $40/30).
Capron’s Charter & Tours (%242-352-9262; capron
charters@hotmail.com) also tours Freeport’s
sights and markets in a Super Combina-
tion Tour (adult/child $35/25) and the
Lucayan National Park in the East End Ex-
perience (adult/child $35/25). Tours also
explore the bush medicine plants and fauna
of Rand Memorial Nature Centre (adult/
child $35/25).
NATURE TOURS
East End Adventures (%242-373-6662; www.bahamas
ecotours.com) offers Blue Hole Snorkeling Sa-
fari (adult/child $85/35). Several spectacu-
lar snorkeling sites are visited by speedboat
and on foot, including a blue hole and blue-
hole lagoon. Lunch is provided. Their Out
Island Cultural Safari Tour ($110) is an
adults-only day that includes hiking, snor-
keling and cay-hopping.
Kayak Nature Tours (%242-373-2485; www.grand
bahamanaturetours.com) leads sea kayaking tours
G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 109
from Freeport into Lucayan National Park,
also biking tours ($80) and kayaking/
snorkeling trips ($70). These trips relish the
natural quiet and splendor of the park and
its many scaled, furry and feathered inhabit-
ants. The certified and trainee guides really
know their stuff.
Lucayan National Park & Cave Tour (%242-373-
7863; adult/child $40/30) has experienced guides
to take you to the caves where Lucayan In-
dians once lived in part of the world’s long-
est underground cavern, and to introduce
GRAND BAHAMA
you to the birds and wildlife of this glorious
42-acre park.
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s ‘People
to People’ program puts you in touch with
locals who share their visitors’ interests or
professions. Call the Grand Bahama Island
Tourism Board (Map pp104-5; %242-325-8044; www
.grand-bahama.com; International Bazaar, Freeport) for
information.
Festivals & Events
For information on these events and many
others, contact the Grand Bahama Island
Tourism Board (see p103).
JANUARY
New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade The flamboyant
music, dancing and costumes of Boxing Day’s Junkanoo are
publicly judged and awarded, with much crowd support
and hollering.
MARCH
Annual Easter Rugby Festival Join in with the Free-
port Rugby Club supporters to cheer on their star players.
JUNE
Sailing Regatta A huge three days full of self-made
boats, racing, and much hollering and onshore partying.
Bahamas Heritage Festival Music, the arts and the
island’s history are all celebrated this month.
JULY
Sweeting’s Cay Homecoming A grand event with live
bands, cultural performances, kid’s activities, and plenty of
food and drinks.
AUGUST
Bernie Butler BASRA Marathon Swim A 2-mile
ocean marathon race, starting off Lucaya Beach.
Emancipation Day These public holiday and associated
celebrations mark the abolition of slavery.
 110 G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a
SEPTEMBER
Small Boat Tournament A four-day fishing tourna-
ment, which sets off from Port Lucaya Marina, features
small boats and massive fish.
Grand Bahama Island Jazz, R&B Festival Two days
of local and international artists keep it cool.
Latin Jazz Festival Three days of local and international
artists make it hot.
OCTOBER
Kalik Junkanoo Rushout Held at Taino Beach, where
Junkanoo shacks compete for the Best Music title.
GRAND BAHAMA
Red Rose Ball A fundraising black-tie event with proceeds
dedicated to those living with HIV/AIDS.
Halloween Party Count Basie Sq is the setting for
children aged 12 and under to wreak havoc with games,
music, a haunted house and a costume competition.
NOVEMBER
Bahamas Wahoo Fishing Championship Season-
opening tournament for this celebrated national competi-
tion starts from Port Lucaya Marina.
Mini Cricket Festival Involves local and international
teams at the Lucayan Cricket Club.
Grand Bahama Conchman Triathlon (www.conch
man.com) Amateur athletes are tested to the limit with
a ½-mile swim, 20-mile bike ride, and 3½-mile run.
Exhausted just reading about this one? Then just watch
with a coconut ice cream and your feet up.
DECEMBER
Festival Noel The Rand Memorial Nature Centre party
has fine wine, art and crafts, food, live music, face paint-
ing, pony rides and a visit from Santa.
Junkanoo Boxing Day Parade A highlight of the
social calendar, the parade kicks off at 5am with costumed
revelers and a cacophony of sounds. The build up to this
starts the January before, with practices downtown near
the post office.
Port Lucaya New Year’s Eve Celebration Put on
your dancing shoes for non-stop dancing in between the
drinking and the fireworks.
Sleeping
Budget hotel options are not impossible
to find as nearly all accommodations here
offer great specials that make a holiday
much more affordable than Nassau, even
in peak season.
Another very good budget and midrange
option is apartment rentals. These can be
great value, with studio units for two people
renting from $85/450 per night/week from
mid-December to mid-April. The apart-
ments are generally bright and light with
www.lonelyplanet.com
wicker furniture and all the mod-cons in-
cluding fully-equipped kitchens. One- and
two-bedroom apartments can sleep from
two to six people.
Try contacting Thompsons Real Estate
(%242-373-9050; www.thompsonsrealestate.com; Free-
port) which rent out a range of apartments
from studios to two-bed units (mainly
around Lucaya).
Many hotels in Grand Bahama also con-
tain privately-owned condos that they rent
out (on behalf of the owners), alongside
their usual hotel rooms. These condos have
the advantage of well-equipped kitchens
and more privacy, yet guests can still use
the hotel facilities.
Expect to pay additional taxes and service
charges on all accommodations (see p270).
FREEPORT
Island Palm Resort (Map pp104-5; %242-352-6648;
ispalm@batelnet.bs; cnr Explorers Way & E Mall Dr; r $70;
pnas) Let’s just say that ‘resort’ is
an exaggeration, and that there are some
dingy rooms. There is a small pool, it’s very
cheap (ongoing Internet specials in peak
season bring daily room rates down to $56),
and a free daily bus takes guests to beaches
and into town. The Safari Restaurant &
Nightclub keeps the motel lively at night,
but good security stops things from getting
too rowdy.
Crowne Plaza Golf Resort & Casino (Map pp104-5;
%242-350-7000; www.theroyaloasis.com; Mall Dr & W
Atlantic Av; r $100; pnais) The resort at
the Royal Oasis complex carried out pretty
extensive hurricane repairs and renovations
in 2005 to comprehensively update this
vast, lush resort. Cleverly designed as a
family-friendly complex, it has pools and
waterslides, tropical gardens, tennis courts,
a gym, a spa, indoor and outdoor games,
watersports, and a new beach lagoon and
water park. Seven restaurants include the
children-only Odie (where kids can be left
to eat with free hotel supervision for an
hour), the Fat Cat Beach Club (h9am-9pm,
for kids aged three years and over) and baby-sitting
facilities (from $20). Golf fans are well
taken care of with two championship 18-
hole courses, and those inclined can enjoy
the casino’s temptations. Revelers will rel-
ish the Tonic nightclub and for the simple
hedonists, surely a swim-up pool bar and
a steady stream of multihued cocktails will
www.lonelyplanet.com
suffice? Accommodation is in two separate
locations; the Crowne Plaza Tower adja-
cent to the casino contains more luxurious
rooms with bright comfortable and clas-
sical furnishings, while the self-contained
Crowne Plaza Country Club is next to the
gardens. Rooms here are decorated with
lively tropical decor and cool tiled floors,
and are arranged in a circle around a splen-
did water park. All rooms have TV, fridge
and coffee-making facilities.
Best Western Castaways Resort (Map pp104-5;
%242-352-6682; www.castaways-resort.com; E Mall Dr; r
$110; pnais) This new hotel is spot-
less and offers large, light and comfortably
furnished modern rooms with cable TV and
balconies. Facilities include a reasonably
priced restaurant and full-sized pool. It’s
only a five-minute walk to the casino com-
plex and courtesy buses go to two beaches.
Security is great and so are the staff.
Lakeview Manor Club (Map pp104-5; %242-352-
9789; lakeview@coralwave.com; adjacent to Ruby Golf
Course; r $100; pnas) Well-maintained
studio ($85), one-bed ($100) and two-bed
($115) rental apartments are available here.
All units have great weekly rates, fully-
equipped kitchens, comfortable furnish-
ings and cable TV. Guest facilities include
spacious grounds, a generous-sized pool, an
on-site laundry, complimentary town and
beach buses, baby-sitting services and some
poolside social activities.
Royal Islander Hotel (Map pp104-5; %242-351-
6000; www.royalislanderhotel.com; E Mall Dr; r $124;
nas) This attractive two-story prop-
erty is centered on a courtyard with a pool
and shady palms. It’s a few minutes’ walk
to the casino complex and rooms are large,
cheerfully furnished with bright prints and
there’s heaps of light. Rooms come with an
in-room safe, cable TV and phone, but un-
fortunately no tea- or coffee-making facili-
ties. There’s also a Jacuzzi, restaurant and
children’s playground.
LUCAYA
Bell Channel Inn (Map pp104-5; %242-373-1053;
www.bahamasvg.com; King’s Rd, Pt Lucaya Marina; r $80;
pnas) All taxes and service charges
are included in the rates for these lodgings
situated off Jolly Roger Dr on the east side
of Bell Channel and Port Lucaya Marina.
Older rooms have dated facilities, but all
rooms overlook the marina and are only
G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 111
THE AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Our Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort (Map
pp104-5; %242-373-2396; www.ourlucaya.com;
Seahorse Rd, Lucaya; r $320; pnais)
Incorporating two main accommodations;
the Westin and less expensive Sheraton
hotels, this attractive open complex is bril-
liant for both couples and families who
want everything within easy reach.
The resort sits on 7 acres of public beach-
front, and incorporates numerous restau-
GRAND BAHAMA
rants, bars (with dance floors), casino, three
great swimming pools with slides totaling
50,000 sq ft (4645 sq meter), kids’ facilities,
the Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village prom-
enade of boutiques, cafés, bars and shops,
and two 18-hole golf courses, all linked by
a ¾-mile boardwalk.
Special deals bring rates down to as low as
$200 in peak season. If this place suits your
bank balance, gambling mother-in-law, golf-
fanatic partner and kids who are attention-
span challenged, you should book soon.
a 10-minute walk to Port Lucaya Market-
place & Village or 15-minute walk to Lu-
caya Beach. Facilities include a restaurant
and on-site dive operation.
Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht Club (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-6618; www.portlucayaresort.com; Bell Chan-
nel Rd, Pt Lucaya Marina; r $100; pnas) This
lodging wins the prize for the best location
for the most reasonable rates in Lucaya.
Although ‘resort’ is an optimistic descrip-
tion, 10 two-story units encircle a lawn and
a full-sized pool with Jacuzzi. The rooms
are light, spacious and spotless, all of them
have patios or balconies. Some look out over
the full-service marina. Adjacent to Port
Lucaya’s Marketplace & Village’s plaza of
bars and restaurants, it is a five-minute walk
across the road to the Our Lucayan Beach &
Golf Resort and that lovely beach.
Coral Beach Hotel (Map pp104-5; %242-373-2468;
www.bahamasvg.com/coralbeach; Royal Palm Way; r $110;
pnas) The neat little units at this
high-rise condo are a great and affordable
beachfront option (rates are inclusive of taxes
and charges). Although the building can get
warm in the hotter months, individual units
do have air-con and there is a small pool
onsite. It is about a 20-minute walk to Port
Lucaya Marketplace & Village. Balconies
 112 G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a
overlook the gardens and private parking
facilities. Popular with retired couples, this is
not suitable for children or party animals!
Pelican Bay at Lucaya (Map pp104-5; %242-
373-9550; www.pelicanbayhotel.com; Pt Lucaya Marina; r
$165; pnais) This award-winning
boutique hotel is pretty luxurious, and it’s
a five-minute walk to Port Lucaya Market-
place & Village. Although part of the Our
Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort, it maintains
its distance and intimacy. The contempor-
ary but soothing rooms are excellent, and
GRAND BAHAMA
are equipped with TV, phone, safe, refriger-
ator, coffee machine and private balcony.
Hotel guests can use their own small on-site
pool and bar, hot tub and restaurant as well
as all of the resort’s facilities.
THE BEACHES
Island Seas Resort (Map pp104-5; %242-373-1271;
iseas@batelnet.bs; 123 Silver Point Dr, Silver Point Beach;
r $120-220; pnas) Tucked away on its
own, this intimate resort sits on a small
beach and is highly popular with families.
One- and two-bedroom self-contained units
surround Coconuts Grog and Grub Bar
(their beachside bar) and facilities include
a pool with swim-up bar, plus tennis court,
shuffleboard court and water sports. A com-
plimentary bus runs into town.
Running Mon Resort & Marina (Map pp104-5;
%242-352-6834; www.running-mon-bahamas.com; 208
Kelly Court, near Xanadu Beach; r $100; pnas)
Although this place is a good hike to the
beach or town, it is attractive, peaceful and
good value. Additionally, free transport is
offered to Xanadu Beach (a 20-minute walk)
and Freeport. The marina-view rooms have
colorful floral furnishings, TV, fridge and
safe. There is also the popular Mainsail
Restaurant & Bar, a children’s playground,
dive shop, deep-sea fishing charters, tennis
courts and a swimming pool.
Taino Beach Resort & Marina (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-4677; Jolly Roger Dr, Taino Beach; r weekly
$850) Located at the far west end of Taino
Beach, near Port Lucaya, these beachside
condos and their Pirates of the Bahamas
theme park were badly damaged during the
2004 hurricanes and were still undergoing
renovations at the time of research. Popu-
lar with families, the self-contained apart-
ments have good-value weekly rates.
Flamingo Bay Yacht Club & Marina (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-4677; www.flamingobayhotel.com; Port Lucaya
www.lonelyplanet.com
Marina; pnas) The sibling to Taino
Beach Resort & Marina, these lodgings sit
across the marina from Taino Beach. Rooms
come with microwaves, coffeemakers and
toasters, and all have balconies. The rooms
are small but nice, with simple decor. How-
ever the lodgings feel tired and the staff are
not as helpful as they could be. Hourly water
taxis will take you across to Taino Beach.
Xanadu Beach Resort & Marina (Map pp104-5;
%242-352-6783; www.xanadubeachhotel.com; Xanadu
Beach; r $145; pnas) This high-rise and
isolated hotel looks over small Xanadu
Beach and all the rooms have private bal-
conies. The hotel obviously was once grand,
(Howard Hughes locked himself up com-
plete with his toenail and urine collections
on the 12th and 13th floors for two years
until his death in 1976.) However the hotel
is now faded and its staff are not exactly
enthusiastic. The rooms are spacious and
comfortably furnished, rates are negoti-
able and there are tennis courts and water
sports, plus an on-site dive shop and a fully
serviced marina.
Ocean Reef Yacht Club & Resort (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-4662; www.oryc.com; Bahamas Reef Blvd off
Coral Rd, nr Silver Point Beach; r $260; pnas)
Boaters love this quiet and tucked-away club
that has rows of townhouses and suites with
Jacuzzis that sits alongside the marina. The
grounds and lodgings are wellmaintained,
the rooms are attractive and comfortable,
and the facilities are very nice. There are
two swimming pools, one with a swim-up
bar (that also serves hot snacks), hot tubs, a
guest laundry and complimentary buses to
town and the beach as part of the package.
Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-4000; www.vivaresorts.com; Fortune Beach;
d/q $180/130; pnais) This sprawling
resort is not flashy and some of the facilities
are a bit dated, but it has a large pool and
sun deck and backs onto its best feature, a
really beautiful section of beach. Packages
can be inclusive of meals and there are tons
of family activities; dance lessons, volleyball,
bingo, karaoke, table tennis, and a good kids’
club that runs a minidisco each evening for
the children before a nightly show.
Eating & Drinking
Hotels tend to have at least one in-house
café or restaurant, while resorts offer a
choice of casual and formal dining rooms
www.lonelyplanet.com
and bars which are always open to non-
guests.
There are a heap of informal places to eat
in the Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village;
on Thursday nights and at weekends the
atmosphere is enlivened by the plaza’s live
music and DJ nights.
FREEPORT
Gelati Silvano’s (Map pp104-5; % 242-352-5110;
Ranfurly Circle, E Mall Dr at E Sunrise Hwy; mains $9-18;
hlunch & dinner, closed Mon) Making the best
coffee and homemade gelati in town, this
elegant and cheerful restaurant also serves a
good plate of pasta. Dishes such as beef with
mushrooms and white-wine sauce, and vege-
tarian lasagna keep the locals happy.
Islander’s Roost (Map pp104-5; %242-352-5110;
Ranfurly Circle, E Mall Dr at E Sunrise Hwy; mains $28-42;
hlunch & dinner, closed Sun) Adjoining Silvano’s,
this lofty restaurant is a steak-lover’s para-
dise and vegetarian’s nightmare. Large por-
tions of beef in different satisfying guises
are accompanied by live entertainment on
most nights.
Geneva’s Place (Map pp104-5;%242-352-5085;
cnr E Mall Dr & Kipling Lane; mains $5-10; hbreakfast
& lunch) For good Bahamian food, this is the
place. The fish, peas ’n’ rice are great and
the guava duff (sweet dumpling with guava
purée) is virtually drowned in a milky rum
sauce.
Pepperpot (Map pp104-5; %242-373-7655; 8 E Sun-
rise Hwy; mains $6; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) This
takeout reputedly serves the island’s best
peas ’n’ rice and fried chicken. Stopping here
at night is not recommended, though.
The International Bazaar (see p103) has more
than a dozen places to eat; but most are
highly forgettable. The following are popular
for quick meals.
Zorba’s (Map pp104-5; % 242-352-4185; Inter-
national Bazaar; mains $5-12; hbreakfast & lunch) The
sibling to Zorba’s in Port Lucaya Market-
place & Village, you will see a steady stream
of working Bahamians come here for their
breakfast and lunchtime takeouts. This is
the Bazaar’s best grub; try the authentic
Greek salads and breakfast omelettes for
simple but good food.
Le Rendezvous (Map pp104-5; %242-352-9610;
International Bazaar; mains $10-20; hbreakfast, lunch
& dinner) Opening when the cruise ships are
in port, this outdoor restaurant has break-
fast specials from $3 along with a range of
G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 113
good-value ethnic meals. Dishes include a
range of savory and sweet soups. The aro-
matic onion with melted cheese and chilled
mango soup (made with cream, rum, ginger
and nutmeg) are both delicious.
Cafe Michel’s (Map pp104-5; % 242-352-2191;
International Bazaar; mains $9-20; hbreakfast, lunch &
dinner) This alfresco café opens every day,
serving an ambitious range of Bahamian
and American dishes from black-bean soup
to cheeseburgers, steak and some upmarket
seafood dishes. The food here is pretty or-
GRAND BAHAMA
dinary, but it is popular with many visitors
seeking a quick bite to eat.
Also recommended for its European cuis-
ine is Ruby Swiss (Map pp104-5; %242-352-8507; cnr
W Sunrise Hwy & W Atlantic Dr; mains $18-30; hlunch &
dinner). For a drink and to watch some sport,
try the Red Dog Sports Bar (%242-352-2700) or
have an old-fashioned drink and a chat the
Prince of Wales Lounge (%242-352-2700), both lo-
cated in the Pub on the Mall (Map pp104-5; %242-
352-5110; Ranfurly Circus, W Sunrise Hwy).
The Western Bakery and Produce Market (Map
pp104–5) at Winn Dixie Plaza are good for
bread and groceries.
LUCAYA
All the following eateries and bars are lo-
cated in the Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village
(see p106). Count Basie Sq sits in the mid-
dle of this plaza and hosts a stage for live
performers. There is a great atmosphere at
the square’s surrounding small bars where
people perch on bar stools to sip cold beers
and exotic cocktails or wander into one of
the neighboring eateries for a range of eth-
nic dishes.
Zorba’s (Map pp104-5; %242-373-6137; mains $8-
15; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) Enjoy your meal
alfresco beneath a canopy of grapevines
and pink bougainvillea. Tasty, reasonably
priced breakfasts and Greek cuisine, such
as moussaka and Greek salad for $10, are
drawcards.
Luciano’s (Map pp104-5; %242-373-9100; mains
$20-40; hlunch & dinner, closed Sun) Specializing in
Italian and French fare, this food is simply
delicious. Try any of the day’s specials and
seafood dishes. Also enjoy the balcony’s
harbor and plaza views with a predinner
drink.
Pisces Seafood Restaurant (Map pp104-5; %242-
373-5192; mains $18-35; hdinner till late, closed Sun)
Wonderful things are done with seafood,
 114 G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 115

pasta, garlic, butter and cream at this small
and charming restaurant. Pizzas add to the
fattening and thoroughly wicked options
presented here.
Caribbean Cafe (Map pp104-5; %242-373-5866;
mains $6-18; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) A pleas-
ant, clean and cheerful little place, this café
is wellsuited for breakfasts, salads and a
sandwich.
Also recommended for food or pre-
dinner drinks, these bars are all open for
lunch and dinner:
GRAND BAHAMA
THE AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Club Caribe (Map pp104-5; % 242-373-6866;
Mather Town off Midshipman Rd, Churchill Beach;
mains $8-12; h11am-6pm Sun & Tue, 11am-10pm
Wed-Sat) As soon as you walk onto their
wooden deck with a chilled beer in hand
and look out over the wide, blue ocean
and deserted beach, you’ll understand this
recommendation.
Hidden away from the madding crowds,
this restaurant/bar is simple, homely and a
Way at E Mall Dr, Freeport; h9pm-late Thu, Fri & Sat) Lo-
cals head here at the weekends for goombay
and hip-hop. Admission prices vary (some
nights are free), so check beforehand. Take
care when leaving the hotel, although secur-
ity guards do patrol the parking lot.
LIVE MUSIC
Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-8446; www.portlucaya.com) This place
hosts live music from Thursday to Sunday.
It has a great open-air setting with a stage
plays, musicals and comedies at the Regency
Theatre (Map pp104-5;%242-352-5533; Regency Park,
Freeport).
CINEMAS
RND Cinemas (Map pp104-5;%242-351-3456; RND
Plaza, E Atlantic Dr, Freeport; admission $10) This five-
screen cinema shows mainstream hits.
Shopping
The duty-free shopping fans head to the
International Bazaar (p103) and Port Lu-

Rum Runners (Map pp104–5; %242-373-7233)
Has ice-cold Red Stripe beer and friendly chatter.
Happy Bar & Lounge (Map pp104–5; %242-373-
6852) A sports bar with a large-screen TV that shows all
the big games.
Shenanigan’s Irish Pub (Map pp104–5; %242-373-
4734) Serves Guinness.
Pub at Lucaya (%242-373-8450) The place for Brits
and lovers of great pub grub.
THE BEACHES
The beachside hotels and resorts listed
in Sleeping (p110) all have bars, most of
them beachside, that will happily indulge
you with fruity rum cocktails or an icy,
golden beer. Most of these bars also serve
snacks.
Coconuts Beach Restaurant & Bar (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-1271; Island Seas Resort, Silver Point Beach)
This popular poolside bar has a happy hour
nightly from 4pm and serves a range of
fried goodies, perfect to eat with sandy fin-
gers and a cold drink.
Stoned Crab (Map pp104-5; % 242-373-1442;
Taino Beach; mains $22-30; hdinner) This classic
two-story restaurant overlooks the sea and
beach and serves its specialty to many ama-
teur gourmands, namely the seafood plat-
ter: lobster, crab, mahi-mahi and shrimp.
Crab-cake appetizers are also yum. Seafood
dishes dominate the menu and guarantee a
full house, so book ahead.
Tranquillity Shores (Map pp104-5; %242-374-
4460; Taino Beach; mains $6-10; hlunch Sun-Thu, din-
ner Fri & Sat) An all-timber beachfront bar is
enhanced by nets and driftwood and a mix
of visitors and locals keen to enjoy the party
atmosphere on weekends. Situated next to
the Stoned Crab, many head to this bar for
predinner drinks, or stop for a Bigmouth
Burger and chilled Kalik beer after an en-
ergetic day on the beach. It’s open until late
on Fridays and Saturday nights.
marvelously friendly place to hang out. Ba-
hamians gather here for great peppery fish
salads and Friday night pig roasts, as well
as live Bahamian music on Friday and Sat-
urday nights (hotel transfers are provided).
Whether you’re here for a long tasty lunch,
convivial dinner or a rum-fueled celebration
of the sunset, you won’t be disappointed with
the ambience, food or surroundings.
Entertainment
The resorts offer in-house entertainment
and shows as well as live music and plenty
of opportunities to trip the light fantastic.
Hotels also host frequent beach parties,
which include bonfires and BBQs (remem-
ber your mosquito repellent).
Many of the evening boat excursions (see
p108) are tremendous fun, providing lib-
eral drinks, liberating music and lithe limbo
dancers; a great way to spend an evening
or two.
NIGHTCLUBS
Amnesia (Map pp104-5; %242-351-2582; E Mall Dr,
Freeport; h9pm-late Thu, Fri & Sat) This tropical-
themed nightclub has a state-of-the-art
lighting and sound system, and the nights
blend reggae, soca, goombay and hip-hop.
Hours and admission fees vary so check
beforehand (if you can remember!).
Prop Club Beach Bar & Restaurant (Map pp104-5;
%242-373-1333; Our Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort, Lu-
caya; htill late) The TV screens attract the
boys for the big American sports games,
but the dance floor takes pride of place for
either nights of entertainment or live music.
Karaoke nights are de rigueur for the more
extroverted, and the glass walls lift up to
expose a sand volleyball court.
Safari Lounge Dance Club & Restaurant (Map
pp104-5; %242-352-6648; Island Palm Resort, Explorers
GRAND BAHAMA
and dance floor, as well as a plethora of caya Marketplace & Village (p106) for their
surrounding bars and cafés. Head there for jewelry and perfume. It is worth bringing
some rake ’n’ scrape, quadrille dancing and a price-comparison list from home when
general fun. considering purchasing these goods.
Illusion’s Jazz Club (Map pp104-5; %242-373- Some of the resort wear and batik prints
8576; 2 & 9 Pt Lucaya Marketplace & Village; admission are worth a look too, but you will find that
$15; hSat & Sun till late) Live jazz is played twice prices can vary quite considerably between
weekly depending upon the season. the Freeport and Port Lucaya markets,
where it is acceptable to haggle the prices
CASINOS & FLOORSHOWS down by about 10% to 15%.
The two main casinos also host shows and
entertainment. ARTWORKS
Crowne Plaza Golf Resort & Casino (see p110) A Many artworks are small enough to pack
Las Vegas–style sports book, slot machines into a suitcase. Check out the African-style
and table games here cover a huge 28,000 sq wooden carvings and some simple but
ft space. A twice-weekly floor show and fine colorful Haitian and Haitian-style oil and
dining add to the entertainment. acrylic paintings that are sold from around
Isle of Capri Casino (Map pp104-5; %242-373- $15 unframed. A bargain gift or souvenir!
2396; www.ourlucaya.com; Our Lucayan Beach & Golf Re- Bahamian Tings (Map pp104-5; %242-352-9550;
sort, Seahorse Rd, Lucaya) This 19,000 sq ft (1765 15 Poplar Cres, Freeport) Sells Bahamian craftworks.
sq meter) casino has 400 slot machines, 21 Flovin Gallery International Bazaar (Map pp104-5;
game tables and a racing sports book. %242-352-7564); Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village (Map
pp104-5; %242-373-8388) Exhibits include original
THEATER paintings and artworks.
From September to June Freeport Players Leo’s Art Gallery (Map pp104-5; %242-373-1758;
Guild (%242-373-3718) and Grand Bahamas Play- Pt Lucaya Marketplace & Village) Leo paints vibrant and
ers (%242-557-6997, 242-352-9851) both appear in rich portrayals of Caribbean living in Haitian-style.
MARKETS & STALLS
Duty-free shopping is best conducted in the two main markets, the International Bazaar (p103)
and the Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village (p106), which should cover all your needs for luxury
goods. What-to-do in Freeport/Lucaya lists major stores and has maps of the International Bazaar
and Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village. The other markets listed sell mainly souvenirs, woven
straw-work, craftworks and clothing.
Locals do their shopping downtown at malls such as The Towne Centre and Churchill Square,
while visitors enjoy the following markets:
! Goombay Gardens (Map pp104-5; Freeport) This collection of market stalls sells ethnic jewelry,
straw-work, craftworks and T-shirts. It is worth the short walk west of the International Bazaar.
! Port Lucaya Straw Market (Map pp104-5; Seahorse Dr, Lucaya) These stalls both west and east of
the Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village sell clothing, T-shirts and crafts including straw-work.
 116 G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G R A N D B A HA MA • • F re e p o r t & Lu c a y a 117

Tiffographs (Map pp104-5; %242-373-6662; Pt Lucaya
Marketplace & Village)Has displays of batik paintings &
prints.
CIGARS
Cuban cigars are a great buy. Most qual-
ity gift shops sell Cohibas (the Rolls Royce
of cigars), Montecristos, and other notable
brands at 50% or more off black-market
prices in the US. We recommend Smoker’s
World (Map pp104-5; %242-351-6899; International
Bazaar, Freeport).
GRAND BAHAMA
Goldylocks Jewelry International Bazaar (Map pp104-5;
%242-352-3872); Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village (Map
pp104-5; %242-373-5920) Has Bahamian jewelry.
Jeweler’s Warehouse (Map pp104-5; %242-373-
8400; Pt Lucaya Marketplace & Village) Has watches and
trinkets.
Jewellery Box (Map pp104-5; %242-373-8319; Pt
Lucaya Marketplace & Village) Gold, silver and gems for all.
Paradise Jewels (Map pp104–5; %242-351-1392;
International Bazaar, Freeport) A range of gems and gold
on offer.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Freeport International Airport (FPO; Map pp104-5;
%242-352-6020) lies 2 miles north of Freeport.
For international flights to Grand Bahama
and the Bahamas see p288.
The following airlines fly between Grand
Bahama and other Bahamian islands.
Bahamasair (UP; www.bahamasair.com) Freeport (%242-
352-8341); Moss Town, George Town, Exuma (%242-345-
0035); Nassau (%242-377-5505) Hub Nassau.
Major’s Airlines Bahamas (%242-352-5778; www
facilities include 150 slips, fuel and accommodations. A
ferry to Port Lucaya is free to guests.
Ocean Reef Yacht Club (Map pp104-5; %242-272-
4661; www.oryc.com; Silver Point Beach) Has accommoda-
tions, over 55 slips and free buses to town.
Old Bahama Bay Resort & Marina (see p120) Has 70
slips and there are fuel, shower and laundry facilities.
Port Lucaya Marina & Yacht Club (Map pp104–5;
%242-373-9090; www.portlucaya.com; Pt Lucaya Mar-
ketplace & Village) Off Seahorse Rd, this modern marina
has 150 slips and accommodations.
Running Mon Marina (Map pp104–5; %242-352-

CLOTHING & CLOTH
If you’re into striking textiles, try these
places.
Androsia (Map pp104-5; %242-373-8387; Pt Lucaya
Marketplace & Village) Sells batik clothing and cloth.
Far East Traders (Map pp104–5; %242-352-9280;
International Bazaar, Freeport) For embroidered linens, silk
pajamas and clothing.
Leather Shop International Bazaar (Map pp104–5;
%242-352-5491); Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village (Map
pp104-5; %242-373-2323) Sells leather clothes, shoes
and handbags.
Linens of Lucaya (Map pp104-5; %242-373-8697;
Pt Lucaya Marketplace & Village) Sells hand-embroidered
materials.
Nautica Boutique (Map pp104-5; %242-373-8642; Pt
Lucaya Marketplace & Village) Sells resort wear, silk paint-
ings and custom-made crafts with a nautical theme.
Needful Tings (Map pp104-5; %242-373-3450; Pt
Lucaya Marketplace & Village) Sells resort wear and
swimwear.
CRYSTAL & COLLECTABLES
The Bahamas is renowned for some of its
collectible stamps.
Bahamas Coin & Stamp Ltd (Map pp104-5; %242-
352-8989; International Bazaar, Freeport) Sells coins from
ancient Rome, Spanish galleons, the USA & UK.
Island Galleria International Bazaar (Map pp104–5;
%242-352-8194); Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village (Map
pp104-5; %242-373-4512) This is the store for crystal
and fine porcelain.
Plaka (Map pp104–5; %242-352-5932; International
Bazaar, Freeport) Sells items from Greece.
JEWELRY
Watches and gems are top of most visitors’
shopping lists.
Colombian Emeralds International International
Bazaar (Map pp104-5; %242-352-5464); Port Lucaya
Marketplace & Village (Map pp104-5; %242-373-8400)
A chainstore specializing in watches and gems.
MUSIC .thebahamasguide.com/majorair) Hub Grand Bahama.
Buck’s Record Gallery (Map pp104-5; %242-352-5170; Flamingo Air (%242-351-4963) Hub Nassau.
Churchill St, Freeport) Downtown on Pioneers
Way near E Mall Dr or at the International Quoted fares are one-way:
Airport, Buck’s is one place for serious
music buffs to build up their collections of Route Price Frequency
Bahamas and Caribbean music.
Intercity Music (Map pp104-5; %242-352-8820; Freeport–Nassau $85 6 daily
Pt Lucaya Marketplace & Village) Another outlet that Freeport–Marsh Harbour, Abaco $85 1 daily
is well-established, it sells goombay, reggae Freeport–San Andros, Andros $150 2 weekly
and soca, including some local recordings. Freeport–Fresh Creek, Andros $150 2 weekly
Freeport–Mangrove Cay $150 2 weekly
PERFUME Freeport–Congo Town $150 2 weekly
Perfume Factory (Map pp104-5; %242-352-9391; Inter- Freeport–Bimini $65 1 daily
national Bazaar, Freeport) Adjacent to the Bazaar’s Freeport–Governors Harbour $135 2 weekly
parking lot, this shop allows you to mix, bot- Freeport–Nth Eleuthera $135 2 weekly
tle, and name your own fragrance ($30 for
one-ounce spray) using the six Fragrances of BOAT
the Bahamas. Every bottle of Sand perfume Mail Boat
for men has real Bahamian sand; each bot- Contact the Dockmaster’s Office (Map pp102-3;
tle of Pink Pearl contains several conch-shell %242-393-1064) located at Potter’s Cay in
pearls. Nassau or Freeport Harbour (Map pp104-5; %242-
Also recommended: 352-9651) to confirm departure schedules,
Les Parisiennes (Map pp104-5; %242-373-2974; Pt and for transport operators, and contact
Lucaya Marketplace & Village) and fare details.
Parfum de Paris International Bazaar (Map pp104-5; Marcella III ($50 one way, 12 hours, one
%242-352-5923); Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village (Map weekly) sails on Wednesday for Freeport
pp104-5; %242-373-8403) from Nassau. It docks half a mile east of the
Cruise Ship Port.
STRAW-WORK & TRADITIONAL ITEMS
There are several straw markets behind the Marinas
International Bazaar that sell woven-straw If traveling in your own boat, you must
crafts, as well as T-shirts, carvings, and clear customs and immigration at Lucayan
ethnic jewelry. Look for Bahamian wood- Marina Village, Port Lucaya Marina, or
carvings, especially the simple yet dramatic Running Mon Marina.
works by Michael Hoyte which are often You’ll need to call ahead to arrange clear-
hewn from ebony driftwood washed ashore ance with Customs (%242-352-7361) and Im-
from Africa. migration (%242-352-9338).
Solomon’s Food Court (Map pp104-5; %242-352- All marinas provide electricity & freshwater
9681; Cedar St, Freeport) For Bahamian sauces hookups.
and preserves, specialty oils, and other cu- Lucayan Marina Village (Map pp104–5; %242-373-
linary items, head towards the International 8888; www.lucayanmarinavillage.com; Pt Lucaya Market-
Bazaar and you’ll find it. place & Village) Located on the north side of Port Lucaya,
GRAND BAHAMA
6834; www.running-mon-bahamas.com; Kelly Ct at the
foot of the Mall, Freeport) Has 70 slips, fuel, accommoda-
tions, a boat-lift, laundry and showers.
Xanadu Beach Resort & Marina (Map pp104–5;
%242-352-6783; Sunken Treasure Dr, Freeport) Has 75
slips and accommodation facilities next to Xanadu Beach.
Getting Around
AIR
To/From the Airport
Freeport International Airport (Map pp104-5;
%242-352-6020) lies 2 miles north of Freeport.
There’s no bus service to or from the air-
port. However, car rental booths are based
in the arrivals hall and taxis meet each
flight. Displayed fares are set by the gov-
ernment.
Taxi rides for two people to/from the air-
port to Freeport are $11 and $19 to/from
Lucaya. Each additional passenger costs $3.
BOAT
Cruise ships dock at Freeport Harbour (Map
pp104-5; %242-352-9651). Taxis meet all cruise
ships and charge $16 to Freeport and $24
to Lucaya.
McLeans Town to Sweeting’s Cay (East
End) has a free government ferry (Map
pp102–3) which runs twice daily.
CAR & SCOOTER HIRE
The following companies have car-rental
agencies at the airport. The local companies
are cheaper than the internationals, and
daily car hire is from $60. Collision waiver
insurance is about $15 a day.
Avis (%242-352-7666)
Brad$ (%242-352-7930)
Dollar (%242-352-9325)
Hertz (%242-352-9277)
KSR Rent A Car (%242-351-5737)
You can rent a scooter in the parking lot
in front of the Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht
 118 G R A N D B A HA MA • • E a s t o f F re e p o r t
Club (p111) for $40 a day, plus a hefty cash
deposit.
BUS
The eastern end of the island is known as
the East End and the western end of the
island is known as the West End. A hand-
ful of private minibuses operate as ‘pub-
lic buses’ on assigned routes from the bus
depot downtown at Winn Dixie Plaza,
traveling as far afield as West End and
McLean’s Town. Buses are frequent and de-
GRAND BAHAMA
part when the driver decides he has enough
passengers. The bus stop in Freeport is at
the parking area behind the International
Bazaar, and the bus stop in Lucaya is on
Seahorse Dr, 400yd west of the Port Lucaya
Marketplace & Village.
Timetables can be obtained from the
Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board (p103).
Fares from Freetown include Port Lucaya
Marketplace & Village ($1), East End ($8,
twice daily) and West End ($4, twice daily).
Buses will occasionally drop you in taxi-
designated city areas for $2.
Free shuttles also run between the most
downtown hotels, the beach and town.
TAXI
You’ll find taxis at the airport and major
hotels. Fares are fixed by the government for
short distances. Bonded taxis (with white
license plates) can’t go outside the tax-free
zone. You can call for a radio-dispatched
taxi from Freeport Taxi (%242-352-6666) or
Grand Bahama Taxi Union (%242-352-7101).
EAST OF FREEPORT
East of the Grand Lucayan Waterway (a
7½-mile canal), the Grand Bahama Hwy
runs parallel to the shore to East End. Side
roads lead to the south shore’s talcum-
powder soft beaches.
Water Cay
This tiny, simple settlement is on the cay
of that name, 2 miles off the north shore.
The community relies on fishing and is
as unspoiled as things get on Grand Ba-
hama. You can catch a boat from Hawksbill
Creek or the Grand Lucayan Waterway or
drive the dirt road from the Grand Ba-
hama Hwy to the north shore dock, where
you might be able to hire a local’s boat to
Water Cay.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Peterson Cay National Park
This 1½-acre park is the only cay on Grand
Bahama’s south shore. It is one of the Fam-
ily Islands’ most heavily used getaway spots,
busy with locals’ boats on weekends. Coral
reefs provide splendid snorkeling and div-
ing. You can hire a boat from any marina in
Freeport and Lucaya or take an organized
snorkeling excursion (see p106).
Old Free Town
The settlement of Old Free Town, 3 miles
east of the Grand Lucayan Waterway, was
forcibly abandoned in the 1960s when the
Port Authority acquired the land. There
are several blue holes (subaqueous caves) in
the surrounding swamp, notably Mermaid’s
Lair and Owl Hole. Stalactites dangle from the
roof of the bowl. And owls have nested on
the sill as long as residents can remember –
the blue holes are well hidden, so ask a local
for directions!
Lucayan National Park
This 40-acre park is the Grand Bahama’s
finest treasure. It is divided in half by the
Grand Bahama Hwy. On the north side,
trails lead from the parking lot onto a lime-
stone plateau riddled with caves that open
to the longest known underwater cave sys-
tem in the world, with over 6 charted miles
of tunnels. From here you can follow steps
down to viewing platforms in Ben’s Cave and
Burial Mound Cave, which have formed blue
holes. These blue holes will fill with fish if
you sprinkle the surface with bread. Colon-
ies of bats use Ben’s Cave as a nursery in
summer, where a unique class of opaque
blind crustacean, Speleonectes lucayensis,
that resembles a swimming centipede also
resides. In 1986 four skeletons of indigenous
Lucayans were found in what appeared to
be an ancient cemetery on the floor of one
cave.
Creek Trail (330yd) and Mangrove Swamp Trail
(480yd) form a loop on the southern side
of the park and pass through three signed
shoreline ecosystems. The trails head first
through miniature woodlands with ming,
cedar, mahogany, and poisonwood, cin-
necord, cabbage palms, and agaves, which
produce towering yellow flowers favored
by insects and hummingbirds. Their low
branches are festooned with orchids and
bromeliads.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Between this area and the shore lie man-
groves, where raccoons and land crabs roam
under the watchful eyes of ospreys, herons
and waterfowl. Gold Rock Creek is the home
to snapper, barracuda, manta ray and crabs.
Passages lead underground between the
creek and the Lucayan Caves so that ocean
fish are often seen in the blue holes north
of the road.
Trails are marked through the beachside
whiteland coppice of giant poisonwood and
pigeon plum trees, frequented by wood-
peckers (‘peckerwoods’ in local parlance).
Both trails spill out onto the secluded
and beautiful white-rippled sands of Gold
Rock Beach, fringed by dunes fixed by coco
plum, sea grape, spider lily and casuarina
trees. Named for the small rock that lies
200yd offshore, this is one of the island’s
most stunning beaches.
Bring all water and food with you and don’t
forget your bug spray. The park is open daily
year-round, although Ben’s Cave is closed
in June and July to protect the birthing bats.
For more information contact the Bahamas
National Trust (Map pp104-5; %242-352-5438; Rand
Memorial Nature Centre, E Settlers Way, Freeport).
You can take a jitney bus from Winn
Dixie Plaza in downtown Freeport to reach
the park. The jitney buses ($8 one-way,
twice daily) pass by the park en route to
McLean’s Town. Check with the Grand
Bahama Island Tourism Board (p103) for
updated schedules.
However a number of operators organ-
ize tours (p109) and activities (p106) that
explore the park on foot, horse, bike, kayak
and boat.
Cave diving is allowed only by special
permit under the supervision of UNEXSO
in Port Lucaya (see p107).
Lucayan National Park to McLean’s
Town
The route to McLean’s Town (population
3744) is normally taken by those seeking
a boat ride to Sweeting’s Cay, Lightbourne
and Deep Water Cays for snorkeling or the
excellent bonefishing.
On the way you will pass sleepy Freetown
and High Rock settlements. About 10 miles
east, beyond the Burma Oil Depot (with
a harbor facility for the world’s largest
supertankers), is Pelican Point Beach and Rocky
Creek, which harbors another blue hole.
G R A N D B A HA MA • • E a s t o f F re e p o r t 119
McLean’s Town residents live off their
conch and lobster fishing, and some also act
as bonefishing guides.
Deep Water Cay attracts fishing fans while
Sweeting’s Cay (population 483) holds a
small fishing village and some visitors’ ac-
commodations. Lightbourne Cay has a lovely
beach and shallows that are a snorkeler’s
dream.
Captain Phil & Mel’s Bonefishing Guide Service
(Map pp102-3; %242-353-3960; www.bahamasbonefish
ing.net; half-/full-day $250/350) provides transport
GRAND BAHAMA
to and from Freeport.
SLEEPING & EATING
Bishop’s Bonefish Resort, Restaurant & Bar (Map
pp102-3; %242-353-5485; www.gbweekly.com/bishops
bonefish; High Rock Beach; r $85; pna) Eight
light and bright motel-style rooms are set
on the beach, each with a fridge. An on-site
bar and popular local restaurant serve Ba-
hamian dishes and burgers, and the owner
can also organize bonefishing trips.
Pelican Point Lodge (Map pp102-3; %242-353-6064;
r $80; pna) These three beachside units
have kitchenettes. A small bar and restaurant
Breezes Bar & Restaurant is attached.
Twin Gables (Map pp102-3; %242-373-6662; eastend
safari@yahoo.com; Sweeting’s Cay; r $140;a) Three
rooms in this waterside villa come fitted
with TV and fridges. The nearby Seaside Fig
Tree (mains $7-15) offers meals and drinks
all day.
Bro’s (Map pp102-3; % 242-353-3440; McLean’s
Town; r $50; pa) This mint-green, three-
story building on the left as you enter town
has a choice of clean but very basic rooms,
some with air-con.
Smitty’s One Stop Shop (Map pp102-3; %242-353-
4242; Bevans Town) About 5 miles east of Lu-
cayan National Park, Smitty’s serves burgers
and basic fare (mains $6-10); sells gasoline
and has a general store.
You can buy groceries at the Cooper’s Con-
venience Store, a tiny hut in the middle of
McLean’s Town.
GETTING THERE & AROUND
A minibus operates twice daily from Winn
Dixie Plaza in downtown Freeport.
East End Adventures (p109) also takes
in McLean’s Town on its day trip to Sweet-
ing’s Cay.
Water taxis operate between McLean’s
Town and the cays. Rates are negotiable.

120 G R A N D B A HA MA • • W e s t o f F re e p o r t
WEST OF FREEPORT
This peninsula is separated from the ‘main-
land’ by Freeport Harbour Channel and
the surrounding industry. Already pretty
poor, the area was further devastated by
the 2004 hurricanes and is in the process of
recovering.
The highlight here is Paradise Cove and
the pristine Deadman’s Reef which can be
reached by simply walking off the beach.
Hawksbill Creek to West End
GRAND BAHAMA
The channel opens to Hawksbill Creek, named
for the once-common marine turtles that
now infrequently come ashore. Fishermen
bring their catch ashore here to the Conch
Wharf; and huge shell mounds line the road.
The rough and poorer suburb of Eight
Mile lies west of the channel and should be
avoided after dark, along with the area that
stretches west to Holmes Rock. Nearby are
several ‘boiling holes’ (subterranean water-
filled holes that bubble under the tides’
pressure).
There’s good diving and snorkeling off-
shore, especially from Paradise Cove (%242-
349-2677; pcove@batelnet.bs; Paradise Cove; r per night/per
week $100/625; pna). Definitely the bar-
gain of the week, this handful of small apart-
ments sits on secluded Coral Beach and has
the most amazing sea views at a very reason-
able weekly rent! Fully-equipped, the apart-
ments come with all linen, including beach
towels. The attractive furnishings are simple
and there is a bar on site that makes killer
piña coladas. What else do you need?
Farther up the road is the atmospheric
Buccaneer Club (Map pp102-3; %242-349-3794; mains
$10-35), centered on a magnificent Old World
stone-and-timber restaurant festooned with
polished driftwood and nautical regalia.
You can also dine on traditional seafood
dishes, rack of lamb and broiled lobster out-
side on a patio shaded by palms.
Jitney buses run several times a day from
Winn Dixie Plaza in Freeport to Eight Mile
and Holmes Rock ($4). Excursions are also
offered from Freeport/Lucaya (see p109).
West End
This fishing village, 25 miles west of Free-
port, was a sleepy haven of tumbledown
© Lonely Planet Publications
www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com 121
shacks, half-sunken boats and piles of sun-
bleached conch shells before the decimating
2004 hurricanes which swooped over Grand
Bahama from this end of the island. Rebuild-
ing the community will take some time.
Once the center of activity on the island,
Prohibition rumrunners dominated the area
and yachters with sterling surnames like
Kennedy, DuPont or Hearst were callers to
the Grand Bahama Resort & Country Club.
The village was also known for the stone-
and-wood Mary Magdalene Church (1893),
GRAND BAHAMA
which has three small yet beautiful stained-
glass windows in contemporary style.
SLEEPING & EATING
Old Bahama Bay Resort & Marina (Map pp102-3;
%242-346-6500; www.oldbahamabay.com; Bayshore Rd; r
$275; pnas) The luxurious Bahamian-
style cottages are part of an upmarket 150-
acre resort that is full of boaters. Classic
darkwood and comfortable furnishings in
the open-suite rooms incorporate all mod-
cons including bars and DVD/CD-players,
coffeemakers and fridges. Private porches
complete the spacious and luxurious feel of
this attractive and low-key resort. Facilities
include walking and snorkeling trails, a vast
heated swimming pool with massage jets,
tennis courts, a gym, spa, dive shop, helipad
and well-equipped marina.
Star Hotel Restaurant & Lounge (Map pp102-3;
%242-346-6207; Bayshore Rd; mains $7-18; hlunch
& dinner) This weather-worn, two-story old
clapboard hotel now serves simple but
hugely popular Bahamian fare. Weekends
here are party time, with live music and late
nights on offer.
Village Tavern & Takeout (Map pp102-3; %242-
346-6102; Bank Lane off Bayshore Rd; mains $6-12;
hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) They serve traditional
Bahamian breakfasts and fried and souse
(stew) meals at this small place.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
A jitney bus ($4 one-way) runs several times
daily from Freeport’s International Bazaar
and Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village.
The marina at Old Bahama Bay Resort &
Marina attracts many boaters. © Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
Several tour operators include West End restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
in their sightseeing excursions (see p109). only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying
the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’
 © Lonely Planet Publications
125

Biminis, Berry Islands

& Andros
These three island groups on the western side of the Bahamas make up a little piece of
heaven for anglers, divers and explorers.

Just 50 miles east of Miami (the city’s glow can be seen at night) and 120 miles northwest
of Nassau, the Biminis, or ‘islands in the stream,’ were made famous by Ernest Hemingway in
his novel of that name. The Gulf Stream brings marlin close to shore, making sportfishing visitors
an economic mainstay of the islands. Hemingway fished, fought and caroused in the Biminis
during the mid-1930s, and became the first vice president of the International Game Fishing
Association (IGFA), which heralded the start of modern-day game fishing around the world.
Since then, four out of the six IGFA world records have been made in Bimini waters.

Divers can enjoy the company of rare Atlantic spotted dolphins here, while at Andros, the

BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

vast 140-mile-long barrier reef lies a couple of miles offshore. The Great Bahama Bank‘s scary
6000ft drop-off in the Tongue of the Ocean canyon harbors some amazing marine life.

& ANDROS
On Andros, bird-watchers, hikers and those who want the untrodden path have 2300 sq
miles of wilderness to explore, while anglers can head to the island’s bights or boneflats.

The Berry Islands sit closest to Nassau, on a plateau rising between the Northwest Providence
Channel (to the north) and the Tongue of the Ocean (to the south). There, birds outnumber
humans, and it’s possible to find a deserted cay where your cares will disperse in the wind.

HIGHLIGHTS Healing Hole

North
! Explore the glorious Andros seas off the Bimini
Bimini
wall of the third-longest coral reef (p135) Seas
in the world
! Hike through the unspoilt forests of Andros
while avoiding mythical chickcarnies (p135)
! Toast hard-living Hemingway, before kicking up your
heels to rake ’n’ scrape music at North Bimini’s Compleat
Angler Hotel (p131) Andros Coral
Forests Reef
! Dive with wild dolphins (p129) in the Bimini seas, on the
mammals’ terms
! Follow in Martin Luther King’s footsteps and bathe in the waters
of North Bimini’s Healing Hole (p127)

! TELEPHONE CODE: 242 ! POPULATION: 9858 ! AREA: 2321 SQ MILES

 126 B I M I N I S • • H i s t o r y www.lonelyplanet.com
BIMINIS developed South Bimini has long been fa-
vored by Americans, who fly or boat in to
their weekend island homes.
pop 1736
Big-game fishing devotees in the know have History
headed to North and South Bimini for dec- Pirates like Henry Morgan thought the
ades, and are a mainstay of the local economy, Biminis a splendid lair from which to pounce
as are the less-welcome rowdy US college stu- on treasure fleets, while the five founding
dents living large during spring break. families here in 1835 were licensed wreckers –
Scuba divers are also lured to these small ‘rescuing’ ships and their cargoes. Later
islands’ sunken Spanish galleons and the Biminites tried the more honest occupation
wreck of a WWI freighter. Then there’s of sponging, which thrived until a decimat-
the underwater Bimini Road, claimed to be ing blight in the 1930s. Prohibition in the
part of the lost city of Atlantis; the famous 1920s boosted the Biminis’ economy (if not
Bimini Wall, plummeting over 4000ft; and reputation) when Alice Town became the
a unique opportunity to dive with wild At- export capital for illegal Scotch whisky runs
lantic spotted dolphins in the open ocean. into the US.
There is a lot of mystery on these 9 sq Ernest Hemingway (see the boxed text,
miles of land: the Healing Hole and Mem- p129) briefly made the Biminis his summer
ory Ledge in particular are immersed in it. home. Other infamous visitors included
And for more earthly pursuits, there are Howard Hughes, Richard Nixon and Adam
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
Hemingway’s still-great haunts; this man Clayton Powell Jr (New York congressman
certainly knew his bars! and Harlem preacher), who arrived with his
North Bimini’s unpretentious Alice Town mistress. Back in 1987, US presidential con-
is the center of activity, with the most beau- tender Gary Hart’s aspirations were sunk
& ANDROS
tiful beach in Bimini Bay, while the less- when he was spotted here cavorting with a
woman who was not his wife – on a yacht
BIMINIS 0
0
6 km
4 miles
appropriately named Monkey Business!
79º20'W 79º10'W In ensuing decades the Biminis became
a major stopover for drug shipments. The
Bimini
Bay work of the US and Bahamian authorities
Straits of
North Bimini continues; in June 2004 the US attorney
Florida general announced the smashing of an
international cocaine-trafficking network,
Alice Town
in which Bahamians were arrested in the
Biminis, New Providence and Eleuthera.
The Biminis have been featured in films
South Bimini
such as Cocoon and Silence of the Lambs.
Turtle
Rocks
See North &
South Bimini
Map (p128)
25º40'N
Getting There & Around
Most visitors fly into the Biminis, while
Great Bahama
others arrive by mail boat. The Biminis are
served by two airports: Bimini Seaplane Landing
Piquet Rocks Bank
(NSB) at Alice Town, North Bimini, and South
Holm Cays Bimini Airport (BIM; %242-347-3101) on South
Bimini.
Gun Cay
The following airlines fly between the
Biminis and other Bahamian islands.
North Cat Cay Bahamasair (UP;%242-377-5505, Freeport %242-
352-8341; www.bahamasair.com; hubs Nassau & Freeport)
South Cat Cay
Includes some flights to the Berry Islands, but schedules
are variable.
Chalk’s Ocean Airways (OP;%1-800-424-2557,
25º30'N 242-363-3114; www.flychalks.com; hubs Paradise Island
Nassau & Fort Lauderdale) Uses the seaplane landing.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Major’s Air Services (%242-352-5778; www.thebaha
masguide.com/majorair; hubs Grand Bahama & Eleuthera)
Tropical Diversions Air (US %954-921-9084;
www.tropicaldiversions.com/air-charter.htm) Flies from
Fort Lauderdale on charter only.
Western Air (%242-329-4000; fax 242-329-3167; hubs
Andros & Nassau)
One-way fares include South Bimini Air-
port flights to Nassau ($65, twice daily) and
South Bimini Airport flights to Freeport
($70, once daily).
With only one compact settlement on
North Bimini, feet are the main transporta-
tion for getting around, although bicycles
and golf carts are easily hired for longer
excursions.
NORTH BIMINI
This skinny island stretches for almost 7
miles before fanning out into a quilt work
of mangrove swamps and fishing flats. A
narrow sliver of lovely white sand, shaded
by palm and pine trees, colors the edge
of the eastern ocean shore. The beaches
are generally prettier to the north, with
the most beautiful being Bimini Bay, but
take your mosquito spray along.
The only settlement is unassuming Alice
Town (population 950), at the south end of
the island. King’s Hwy, the main street, runs
along the inner shore, while Queen’s Hwy,
a one-lane concrete path, runs along the
western shore. The suburb where Biminites
mainly live is Bailey Town, which merges
into Porgy Bay (or ‘Poggy Bay’). You can
continue north along the dirt road that
leads to Bimini Bay and beyond.
Information
There are public telephone booths all along
King’s Hwy. A small library is opposite the
customs building at the mail-boat dock.
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-347-3529;
fax 242-347-3530; Government Bldg, King’s Hwy, Alice
Town; h9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri)
BaTelCo (%242-347-3311; King’s Hwy, Alice Town)
Sells phone cards.
Government Medical Clinic (%242-347-2210;
King’s Hwy, Alice Town)
Police (%242-347-3144, 919; King’s Hwy, Alice Town)
Post office (%242-347-3546; Government Bldg, King’s
Hwy, Alice Town)
Royal Bank of Canada (%242-347-3031; King’s Hwy,
Alice Town; h9am-3pm Mon, Wed & Fri)
B I M I N I S • • N o r t h B i m i n i 127
Sights
The one-room Bimini Museum (%242-347-3038;
King’s Hwy; admission $2; h9am-9pm Mon-Sat, noon-
9pm Sun), above the library opposite the straw
market (customs building), tells the island’s
history through videos and photos, and has
sections on fishing legends, Hemingway,
and sporting figures.
No visit to the Biminis is complete with-
out raising a drink at the famous Compleat
Angler Hotel, where Hemingway duked it
out with all comers every Sunday in a ring
he made (he had a standing offer to pay $100
to any resident of the Biminis who could
punch him out). This lounge is now the Er-
nest Hemingway Museum, complete with black-
and-white photos of Hemingway that recall
his time here (1935–1937).
Local lore attributes the inspiration for
Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I Have a Dream’
speech to the mystical effect of the Healing
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
Hole, south of Easter Cay. The great man
bathed in this freshwater sulfur spring
shortly before speaking those memorable
words. Many visitors here experience an
& ANDROS
enigmatic calming sensation.
Several restaurants, such as Captain Bob’s
(p131), have photographic Fishing Halls of
Fame celebrating those who’ve made the is-
lands’ angling heritage an international draw.
Dozens of photos and other memorabilia
recall celebrities and commoners who have
pulled prize-winning fish from the drink.
Ask a local to point out Memory Ledge. It
is claimed that if you lie down here, you’ll
be flooded with flashbacks.
The ridge above Spook Hill, a cemetery at
the east end of Porgy Bay, drops to a beach
popular with locals on weekends for pic-
nics. It’s a great spot for enjoying sunsets.
Activities
DIVING & SNORKELING
Some grand dive sites include the Bimini
Barge, where the 270ft Sapona wreck lies
75yd from the Gulf Stream drop-off, and
where prolific reef life and pelagic big boys
roam. You can’t miss Bimini Road, where
1000ft-long underwater formations resem-
ble the Incas’ hand-hewn blocks and are
claimed as ‘The Lost Outpost of Atlantis.’
(The discovery in 1977 of 500ft-long sand
mounds shaped as a shark, a square, a cat
and a seahorse in the eastern part of Bimini
added fuel to the Atlantis fire).
 128 B I M I N I S • • N o r t h & S o u t h B i m i n i www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com B I M I N I S • • N o r t h B i m i n i 129

NORTH & SOUTH BIMINI 0

0 1 mile
2 km
HEMINGWAY AND THE BIMINIS
79º14'W
A B C D Ernest Hemingway put the Biminis on the map when he briefly made them his summer home
1 during the mid-1930s, and later featured the islands in his best-selling novel Islands in the Stream
3
Sharman's La 27 (published in 1970, nine years after his death).
12
1 11
10 Bimini One of the greatest American writers of the 20th century, Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak
Bay
Park, Illinois. His spare, stylized realism – which he attributed to his background as a newspaper
y

14
Hw

30 23 Bimini Road reporter – revolutionized modern literature, and he was awarded both the Pulitzer and Nobel
's

25
een

The
Sound Prizes for Literature during his lifetime.
Qu

15 Parliament La North
18 25º46'N
Blue Water Paradise Bimini Hemingway based much of his fiction on his adventurous and troubled life, including his
19 4 Marina Point
33 7 22 traumatic experiences as an ambulance driver during WWI. In 1918 Hemingway was severely
32 Little wounded in a mortar attack in Italy; although his legs were riddled with shrapnel, he reportedly
y
Hw

Caverns
35 Great Bahama carried a wounded soldier to safety. The horror of the war and his relationship with his nurse
g's

21 Mosquito
Bank while recuperating in Milan formed the basis of his antiwar novel A Farewell to Arms (1929). His
Kin

Point
2 29 0 200 m Porgy
28 0 0.1 miles Bay short story Soldier’s Home tells of a soldier returning home to a family and town that doesn’t
comprehend what he’s been through.
Spook Hill
Beach In 1921 Hemingway was sent to Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star Weekly. There he
Straits Easter Cay
was introduced to such literary greats as Ezra Pound, James Joyce and Gertrude Stein, and wrote
of Florida
some of his most important novels. Hemingway later moved to Key West, where he developed
13
20 a passion for big-game fishing, a sport he pursued in the Biminis and later made the topic of
Porgy Bay 9
The Old Man and the Sea (1953). In the Biminis, Hemingway was legendary for winning fishing
Bonefish
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

Bailey Town
Hole tournaments and unofficial boxing matches, and for nights of drunken debauchery.
26
25º44'N It’s been suggested that his father’s depression and eventual suicide in 1928 influenced not
3 See Enlargement only Hemingway’s own psychological well-being but also his manic pursuit of love, alcohol and
Alice Pigeon
life. Hemingway had four wives and many mistresses, and actively pursued some nerve-racking
& ANDROS

Town

& ANDROS
Cay
adventures. These included hunting big game in Africa in 1933 and covering the Spanish Civil
Cemetery Bimini Seaplane Landing War in 1937; his experiences there resulted in the evocative For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). Fol-
Entrance Buccaneer Point SLEEPING
Point Bimini Big Game Resort &
lowing the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway moved to Cuba, where he spent the early part of WWII
34 24
Marina.................................14 A1 hunting for German submarines along the coast, an activity also pursued by the protagonist of
Bimini Blue Water Resort..........15 A1
31 Bimini Sands Beach Club,
Islands in the Stream. Hemingway then traveled to Europe to cover the end of WWII, and was
2
Air
Bimini 17 po
rt
Condominiums & Marina.....16 A5 there for the liberation of Paris.
Barge Rd 8 Bimini Sands Resort & Marina..17 A4
Compleat Angler Hotel.............18 A1 Hemingway’s escapades were eventually curtailed by the severe injuries he received in one of
4 Seacrest Hotel & Marina..........19 A2 two plane crashes during a trip to Africa in 1954 – he was so badly hurt that he was unable to
Tiki Hut Trev's Inn................................ 20 A3
Beach Weech’s Bimini Dock & collect his 1954 Nobel Prize. By this stage, his deteriorating health had affected his writing, leav-
South Bimini
Port 6
Apartments.......................... 21 A2 ing Hemingway suicidal and drinking up to a quart of liquor a day. In desperation his fourth wife
Royal organized electroshock therapy to treat his depression. When these ‘therapies’ erased many of his
South Bimini EATING
25º42'N Anchorage Restaurant & Bar..(see 15)
Airport extraordinary memories, Hemingway finally gave up the fight. On July 2, 1961, Ernest ‘Papa’ Hem-
Barefoot Bar.............................(see 5)
16
Captain Bob’s..........................22 A2 ingway followed his father’s lead; he took a 12-gauge shotgun and shot himself in the head.
Clubhouse Restaurant..............(see 5) But despite his tragic end, Hemingway’s legacy is very much alive in his body of writing, his
Round Rock Fisherman’s Wharf...................(see 5)
Jontra’s Grocery Supply............23 A1 lasting influence on literature, and – in the Biminis and elsewhere – in his many former haunts,
79º14'W
Morgan Liquor Store..............(see 24)
Morgan’s Grocery.................... 24 A4
such as the Compleat Angler Hotel (p131), which now houses the Ernest Hemingway Museum.
5 Red Lion Pub............................25 A1 The Bimini Museum (p127) also has a section on Hemingway.
Roadside Shacks.......................(see 5)
Great Bahama Sandra's Restaurant.................26 A3
Sports Bar & Grill.....................(see 5)
Bank
DRINKING & ENTERTAINMENT Hawksbill Reef is home to lobsters and LaChance Rocks, with its many marine crit-
Bimini Breeze Restaurant & Bar..27 A1
End of the World.....................28 A2
reef fish; Little Caverns has mountainous ters. Also try Turtle Rocks, where there are
79º16'W
Fisherman’s Paradise................29 A2 coral formations that rise from a sandy bot- plenty of coral, fish and turtles, and the
79º18'W
INFORMATION
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Bimini Big Game Resort & Marina...........5 A1
Island House Bar.......................30 A1
Specialty Paris........................(see 26)
tom at 65ft; and at the Wall, a popular drift highlight, Stingray Hole, where friendly
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism...............(see 3) Bimini Biological Field Station.................6 A4 site at 130ft along the continental shelf, the rays glide around waiting to be hand-fed.
BaTelCo..................................................1 A1
Government Medical Clinic..................(see 3)
Bimini Museum......................................7 A2
Ernest Hemingway Museum...............(see 18)
TRANSPORT
Customs................................(see 32)
Gulf Stream carries you. Beyond, the abyss Bill & Nowdla Keefe’s Bimini Undersea (%242-
6 Immigration..........................................(see 3) Fountain of Youth..................................8 A4 Duncombe’s Yacht Club.......... 31 A4 drops to 2000ft. 347-3089; www.biminiundersea.com; Bimini Big Game
Library..................................................(see 7)
Police.....................................................2 A4
Healing Hole..........................................9 C3
Keefe's Bimini Under Sea......................10 A1
Mail-Boat Dock........................32 A2
MV Bimini Mack Mail-Boat
Snorkelers should head for the Bimini Resort & Marina, Queen’s Hwy, Alice Town) offers two-
Police......................................................3 A1 Roadside shacks....................................11 A1 Office..................................33 A2 Shoreline, where coral and rock forma- tank dives ($90) and snorkel trips (adult/
Post Office...........................................(see 3) Scuba Bimini Dive Centre......................12 A1 Water Taxi to North Bimini...... 34 A4
Royal Bank of Canada............................4 A2 Spook Hill.............................................13 A3 Water Taxi to South Bimini...... 35 A2 tions are smothered by sponges, Eagle Ray child $40/20). Their tremendous ‘Wild
Run, where these graceful stingrays fly and Dolphin Excursions’ (adult/child $120/100)
 130 B I M I N I S • • N o r t h B i m i n i
leave the dolphins completely in charge, and
encounters last about an hour. They also run
diving and accommodation packages, which
can include videos and night dives.
The Scuba Bimini Dive Centre (%242-347-4444;
www.scubabimini.com; South Bimini Yacht Club, King’s
Hwy, Alice Town) offers one-tank dives for $50,
two-tank dives for $80 and three-tank dives
for $100 (gear is extra). Snorkeling trips
are $30. They will also organize wild dol-
phin observation and interaction for $119
per person with accommodation (based on
double occupancy).
Enjoy leisurely diving excursions with K&B
EZ Dive (%242-347-4071; www.knbezdive.com; Bimini),
which offers one-tank dives for $50, spear-
fishing ($150 per half day; bring your own
mask, fins and snorkel), snorkeling ($35) and
beach picnics ($125 per person). Learn to use
the Hawaiian sling to catch a lobster or visit
Honeymoon Harbour for a cookout.
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
BONEFISHING & SPORTFISHING
What drew Hemingway more than half a
century ago still draws people today – the fa-
& ANDROS
mous big fish. The catch of the day in winter
months is wahoo. All manner of other game
fish – tuna, sailfish, mako shark, barracuda
and, above all, blue marlin and other billfish
that put up a bruising battle – are caught
year-round. The hot spots are Bimini Road,
off Paradise Point; just off Bimini Bay’s
Three Sisters Rock; and off Great Isaac, 15
miles north. Those bonefishing fans who
prefer smaller fry such as snapper and grunt
look east to the Biminis flats.
Typical fishing charter fees are $400 to
$500 for a half day and $800 to $900 per full
day. Marinas in North and South Bimini
offer charters, bonefishing and deep-sea
adventures including Bimini Big Game Resort
& Marina (%242-347-3391; www.biminibiggame.com;
King’s Hwy) and Bimini Blue Water Resort (%242-
347-3166; fax 242-347-3293; King’s Hwy).
Also contact these excellent guides:
Bonefish Ansil Saunders (%242-347-2178) The
world champ. Charges around $300/600 per half/full day.
Bonefish ‘Ebbie’ David (%242-347-2053; shannys
home@msn.com) Runs bonefishing trips ($250/400 per
half/full day for two people).
Captain Jerome’s Deep Sea Fishing (%242-347-
2081; www.biminifishing.com) Fishing for 25 years, he
charges $550/900 for half-/full-day trips, and runs shark
trips all year round, hunting lemon, hammerhead and
black tip sharks.
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BIMINIS FISHING TOURNAMENTS
Month Tournament
Feb Hemingway Championship
Midwinter Wahoo
Mar Bacardi Billfish Tournament
May Billfish Championship
Bimini Beach Blue Marlin Rendezvous
Memorial Day Weekend Tournament
Jun Big Five Club Tournament
Jul Fourth of July Tournament
Aug Junior Anglers Tournament
Sep BOAT Tournament
Nov All Wahoo Tournament
Tours
Bonefish Ansil Saunders (%242-347-2178) Runs
tours that take in the Bonefish Hole, Healing Hole, East
Point, Creeks (mangroves) and Bimini Bay. Maximum of
four people for $125.
Bonefish ‘Ebbie’ David (%242-347-2053; shannys
home@msn.com) As well as fishing trips, he runs the Heal-
ing Hole Tour, with a half-hour in the pool for $35
per person, and a maximum of 17 people.
Festivals & Events
The Biminis’ party-hearty islanders put on
a Junkanoo extraordinaire each Boxing Day
and New Year’s Day, and on July 10 in cele-
bration of Bahamian Independence. There’s
also a festive, despite being early, 5am Christ-
mas Day parade.
The Bimini Regatta Blast at the end of
March features live reggae and other bands.
The Bimini Festival in mid-May features a
sportfishing tourney and cookouts.
The Biminis welcome yachters in the
annual Bahamas Boating Flings each June
through mid-August, when first-time boat-
ers arrive en masse from Fort Lauderdale.
Sleeping
All the hotels in Alice Town are strung
along King’s Hwy. Hotel rooms are usually
sold out during big fishing tournaments.
Compleat Angler Hotel (%242-347-3122; fax 242-
347-3293; King’s Hwy, Alice Town; r $90; pna) For
atmosphere, the best bar in town and a look at
Hemingway’s old hangout, take a room and
a drink here. Mr Hemingway’s snoring
could be heard from Room 1; you may pre-
fer a sea view. Character-laden rooms are
wood paneled and imbued with the spirit
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of bar tales and Bahamas living. Weekly live
music makes the joint jump.
Seacrest Hotel & Marina (%242-347-3071; www
.seacrestbimini.com; King’s Hwy, Alice Town; r standard/
dockside $100/125; pna) Take a third-floor
room for views over the marina in this
pleasant, modern and friendly place. Room
facilities include cable TV and a fridge. The
beach is 30yd away.
Weech’s Bimini Dock & Apartments (%242-347-
3028; fax 242-347-3508; King’s Hwy, Alice Town; r $125;
pa) For an atmosphere that is friendly
and welcoming, this is the place. Airy and
clean rooms overlook the marina.
Bimini Blue Water Resort (%242-347-3166; blue
waterresort@boipb.com; King’s Hwy, Alice Town; r standard/
suite $90/190, Blue Marlin cottage $285; pnas)
This resort has a full-service marina, res-
taurant and bar. Choose from the three-bed
Blue Marlin cottage (Hemingway’s home
away from home), rooms in the more
atmospheric older building or cheaper,
motel-type rooms. A variety of water-based
activities is offered, including sportfishing.
Bimini Big Game Resort & Marina (%242-347-
3391; www.biminibiggame.com; King’s Hwy; r $185, cottages
$225, penthouses $325; pnas) A favorite
of anglers and yachters, with a large, fully
equipped marina. Charter boats are available,
as are bonefishing and deep-sea adventures.
Trev’s Inn (%242-347-2452; www.trevinn.com; Porgy
Bay; r $80, additional person $15; pa) Basic but
clean and tidy rooms.
Eating
Most hotels and pubs around town offer
meals.
Captain Bob’s (% 242-347-3260; Blue Harbour
Marina, Alice Town; breakfast $10; hbreakfast & lunch
Wed-Mon) Bahamians pack in here early for
scrumptious corned-beef hash with eggs, as
well as French toast and omelettes.
Anchorage Restaurant & Bar (%242-347-3166;
Bimini Blue Water Resort, King’s Hwy, Alice Town; mains
$12-30; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner Wed-Mon) Good,
reasonably priced Bahamian food includes
burgers, salads and tasty seafood dishes.
Red Lion Pub (%242-347-3259; King’s Hwy, Alice
Town; mains $10-23; hdinner Tue-Sun) This intim-
ate place prepares succulent seafood (fish
and lobster) and meat dishes, followed by
yummy lime pie and banana cream pie.
Clubhouse Restaurant (%242-347-3391; Bimini
Big Game Resort & Marina, King’s Hwy; mains $15-30;
hdinner Wed-Mon) For something different
B I M I N I S • • N o r t h B i m i n i 131
and tasty, head here. Try the spicy Baha-
mian gumbo, pepper pot stew, Asian-style
dishes or smoked game fish. Reservations
are recommended.
Sandra’s Restaurant (% 242-347-2336; Bailey
Town; mains $6-19; hlunch & dinner) This nice little
place has lunch and dinner specials daily,
ranging from chicken snacks to stuffed lob-
ster. There’s also a bar and lounge.
The following are all based at Bimini Big
Game Resort & Marina (left): Fisherman’s
Wharf (mains from $12; hlunch & dinner), with a
large menu of seafood and steaks and an
extensive wine list; the Barefoot Bar (hlunch
& dinner), serving snacks; and Sports Bar & Grill
(hlunch & dinner), which has three satellite
TVs and features Bahamian and US dishes
as well as pizza. You can buy the Biminis’
exquisite, renowned homemade white bread
and confections at roadside shacks opposite
the resort. Try coconut candy, raisin bread
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
and delicious banana cake.
Head to Jontra’s Grocery Supply (%242-347-
3401; Alice Town) or Bimini Food Supply (%242-347-
2305; Bailey Town) for groceries.
& ANDROS
Entertainment
Compleat Angler Hotel (%242-347-3122; fax 242-
347-3293; King’s Hwy, Alice Town; h11am-1am) The
larger-than-life hotel where Ernest Heming-
way hung his hat is still the center of action
more than 50 years later, drawing colorful,
offbeat characters. It’s the place to be when
the calypso band strikes up and the dance
floor begins to cook. The band plays three
to seven nights a week December to April,
and Wednesday night and weekends the
rest of the year. One of the rooms holds the
original bar, fashioned from prohibition-
era rum kegs.
End of the World (%242-347-3277; Alice Town)
The health authorities had the original shack
condemned, and it’s been replaced with a
modern wooden unit. But the floor is still
covered in sand, dogs wander in and out,
and you can add your scrawl to the graffiti-
covered walls. It closes at 3am.
Dancing also takes place on weekends at
Fisherman’s Paradise.
Also try the Island House Bar (%242-347-
2439), opposite the Red Lion Pub, and nearby
Bimini Breeze Restaurant & Bar (%242-347-3419;
Alice Town).
In Bailey Town check out the upstairs
bar known as the Specialty Paris (there’s no
 132 B I M I N I S • • S o u t h B i m i n i www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com B E R R Y I S L A N D S 133

sign), opposite the Anglican Church, where
a rake ’n’ scrape band play occasionally.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Refer to p288 for information on interna-
tional flights to the Bahamas and p126 for
information on getting to the Biminis.
BOAT
Call the Dockmaster’s Office (%242-394-1237)
in Nassau and check the website of the Ba-
hamas Ministry of Tourism (www.bahamas.com) for
the latest schedules and prices.
MV Bimini Mack mail boat ($45, 12 hours)
departs Nassau for Bimini, Cat Cay and
Chubb Cay on Thursday, returning on
Monday.
Marina
Boaters and pilots arriving from abroad
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
Sights & Activities
Ponce de Leon’s mythical Fountain of Youth is
said to be 2 miles southeast of the water-taxi
berth on Airport Rd. Look for the sign amid
the undergrowth to the side of the road.
It’s actually a natural, 18-inch-wide hole
(often dry) in the limestone, surrounded by
a crumbling wall.
The remains of the Sapona, a concrete ship,
lie half submerged offshore, 4 miles south of
South Bimini. It was built by Henry Ford
during WWI. During prohibition it was an-
chored here and turned into a private club –
a favored haunt of the rum-runners.
Officially named the Bimini Biological Field
Station (Dr Samuel H Gruber in the US %305-274-0628;
www.miami.edu/sharklab/index.html; VHF Channel 88),
this ‘Shark Laboratory’ east of Port Royal
researches the lemon shark, one of the 13
shark species common hereabouts. Visi-
tors are welcome. There are no sharks here,
You can stock up on drinks and snacks
at Morgan’s Grocery or Morgan’s Liquor
Store, the only stores on the island; they’re
near Duncombe’s Yacht Club.
Getting There & Around
Refer to p126 for additional information on
travel to and from these islands.
The Bimini Airport is 3½ miles east of
the ferry dock.
BICYCLES, BOAT & KAYAK
Bimini Sands Beach Club, Condominiums
& Marina rents bikes for $15 per day, an
18ft boat for $120 per day, and single/dou-
ble kayaks for $25/35 per day.
MARINA
Please contact Immigration (%242-347-3447)
and Customs (%242-347-3101) when arriving
at the island.
and it is quite possible to find a tiny cay
where you can be alone – provided you
have your own boat.
The 30 mostly uninhabited islands and
cays of the Berry Islands only make up 12 sq
miles of land, but span a distance of about
25 miles across the ocean. The largest and
most important island is Great Harbour
Cay, a 10-mile-long, mile-wide island of
scrub-covered rolling terrain. Chub Cay,
renowned among the wealthy elite, also at-
tracts those who enjoy game fishing and
boating. Several other cays are privately
owned, such as Bond’s Cay, where a private
bird sanctuary is maintained, and Cistern
Cay, a stone’s throw northwest of Great
Harbour Cay.
BERRY ISLANDS
0
0
1 km
0.5 miles

BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

Northwest Providence Channel
must clear Immigration (%242-347-3446; Gov- however. Bimini Sands Beach Club, Condomini- 25º50'N
ernment Bldg, King’s Hwy) and Customs (%242-347- Tiki Hut Beach is a lovely 2-mile strip of ums & Marina (opposite) has a 150-slip full- Great Stirrup Cay

3100; by the mail-boat dock) in Alice Town. white sand on the west shore. Snorkeling service marina. Little
Bimini Big Game Resort & Marina (p131) is best close to Corner Reef, half a mile south Stirrup
& ANDROS

Great Harbour

& ANDROS
Cay Cay Airport
has around a hundred slips and full-service of Tiki Hut Beach, where spotted eagle rays WATER TAXI & TAXI Sugar Beach
Cistern
facilities. Bimini Sands Beach Club, Condo- and grunts can be seen close to shore, and TSL Water Taxi and PHK Water Taxi run Cay Great Harbour
Cay Great
miniums & Marina (right) on South Bimini tiny caves and rocks are home to lobsters, water-taxi services ($5) between North Bi- Great Harbour
Bahama
Bullock’s Harbour Bay
also has a full-service marina. octopus and crabs. Snorkelers should also mini and South Bimini, leaving from the Shell
Bank
try Buccaneer Point, at the north end of the water-taxi dock on the northwest tip. Anderson Cay
Beach
Haine's Cay
Getting Around beach, but beware of strong currents. An Minibus taxis wait at the South Bimini
Most places are within walking distance. airplane forced down by the US Drug En- wharf for the water taxis. Great Bahama
However, golf carts can be hired at the ma- forcement Administration lies just offshore. Bank

rinas in North and South Bimini for $65 The Bimini Sands Beach Club, Condo- NORTH CAT CAY 25º40'N

per day. miniums & Marina charters sportsfishing Ten miles south of South Bimini, North Cat Ambergris Cay

Water taxis between North and South boats and skippers, and can suggest guides. Cay is a private island run as an exclusive,
Bimini depart near the Bimini mail-boat Rodney Rolle (VHF Channel 68) rents sea kayaks members-only club, beloved by magnates, Holmes Cay

dock; the trip costs $5 one way. for $25/40 per half/full day. Hollywood stars and the late former US
president Richard Nixon. Nonmembers are
SOUTH BIMINI Sleeping & Eating restricted to the marina area. For informa- Little Harbour Cay
Less-developed South Bimini has long Bimini Sands Beach Club, Condominiums & Marina tion on membership, call the Cat Cay Yacht Club Great

been a weekend hideaway for wealthy ex- (%242-347-4500; www.biminisands.com; r $175, units & Marina (%242-347-3565; www.catcayclub.com). Bahama

pats, but has also maintained large areas of $250-385; pnas) One of two types of The medical clinic is open 10am to noon Bank
mangroves, tropical hardwood forest and accommodation at this resort, the attrac- daily. The staff are available at other times
saltwater pools. This tiny 5-mile-long isle is tive motel-style lodgings here are popular for emergencies. 25º30'N
therefore still popular with waterfowl, who with scuba divers. Rooms are bright and The marina has grocery and liquor stores. Bond's Cay
head for Duck Lake, their winter getaway. comfortable and offer either sea or marina
A paved road leads from the water-taxi
dock on the northwest tip to the airport. A
dirt road loops around the west and south
views. The spacious and light-filled one-
and two-bedroom units have either a ma-
rina or an ocean view, and are well fitted
BERRY ISLANDS
Chub Cay
shores, connecting with Airport Rd. with large kitchens. There’s a restaurant pop 742 Chub Cay
Airport Berry Island
Whale Cay
Club
There is a public phone booth located and bar, and facilities at the sibling Beach Despite being so close to New Providence, Club &
Marina Chub Cay
at the Bimini Sands Beach Club, Condo- Club are open to guests. Water taxis run these solitary islands and cays receive
miniums & Marina along with the police day and night to Alice Town. A two-night few mainstream visitors. There is a much Tongue of the Ocean

(%242-347-3424, 919). minimum applies. greater population of birds than humans, 77º50'W
 134 B E R R Y I S L A N D S • • G re a t H a r b o u r C a y
History
In the 1960s Douglas Fairbanks Jr and oth-
ers among the US social elite took Great
Harbour Cay to their hearts. The Great
Harbour Cay Club was formed, nine rip-
pling fairways were sculpted on the rises
falling down to the sea, and marinas were
built and lined with luxury waterfront
homes. Jet-setters flocked to these shores,
including Brigitte Bardot, Cary Grant and
members of the Rockefeller clan (mobster
Meyer Lansky also had a stake). However,
the troubled club was closed and ransacked
in the ’70s.
Since then the island has mostly kept its
own counsel. Occasional visitors arrive to
restock their boats and join the locals in
fishing expeditions.
Getting There & Around
Most visitors arrive at Great Harbour Cay
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
either by charter plane, private boat or mail
boat. You can get around mainly on foot,
or rent a bicycle or scooter.
& ANDROS
GREAT HARBOUR CAY
pop 370
This is the main center of the islands,
where most islanders live and where most
visitors will find company, lodgings and
food. Great Harbour Marina is built on a
narrow channel south of Bullock’s Harbour
and is entered via a slender cut with cliffs
to each side.
The island’s main attraction is the 8-
mile-long white-sand beach along the east-
ern shore, where the warm shallows are
every shade of green. The beach is formed
by two great scallops: Sugar Beach to the
north and Great Harbour Bay to the south.
A few dozen expats have houses along the
shore. Great Harbour Bay runs south to
Shell Beach and a reef (exposed at low tide)
that is good for finding sand dollars.
Birds prefer the mangroves, flats and salt
pools on the west of the island, where her-
ons and egrets hunch and watch for their
lunch. Most of the interior is smothered
in thatch palm, scrub and casuarinas, and
snakes and butterflies abound. There are
vast flats for bonefishing. Great Harbour Dr
runs the length of the east coast.
The island’s annual Homecoming Re-
gatta is held each August, with plenty of
home cooking, live music and fun.
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Information
BaTelCo (%242-367-8199; Bullock’s Harbour)
Medical clinic (%242-367-8400; Bullock’s Harbour;
h9am-2pm Mon-Fri)
Police (%919, 242-367-8344; Bullock’s Harbour)
Post office (%242-367-8293; Bullock’s Harbour;
h9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri) Has a public telephone kiosk.
Activities
There are good dive and snorkel sites north-
east of Great Harbour Cay. The Berries are
also superb for fishing. Permits are required
for sportfishing boats.
Happy People’s Gift Shop & Rentals (%242-367-
8117; Great Harbour Marina; h8am-5pm) rents snorkel
gear for $10 per day, and a 15ft bonefishing
skiff for $85/105 per half/full day. It also
rents fishing rods for $15 and sells tackle.
Bonefishing guides can be hired through
the marinas. Rates are around $250/375
per half/full day, including boat charter for
bonefishing, and $375/550 per half/full day
for deep-sea fishing. Try Percy Darville (%242-
367-8119; Great Harbour Yacht Club & Marina).
Sleeping & Eating
Some private homes will rent out rooms, so
just ask around.
Ogburn’s Conch Villa (%877-669-5275; www.a1
vacations.com; villas per week $900; na) This ocean-
front villa in Great Harbour Cay sleeps six,
and has a fab wraparound balcony perfect for
a sunset tipple. This super place is modern,
and kids will love the loft rooms.
Tropical Diversions Resort at Great Harbour
Cay (%954-921-9084; www.tropicaldiversions.com/great
-harbour-cay.htm; d $135-195, villas $494-630; pn
as) This resort provides two-bedroom,
two-story townhouses with patios and decks
overlooking the marina, with private docks
below. All of the rooms are splendidly deco-
rated and have a TV, a washing machine
and a full kitchen. It also has studio units
and beach villas. Daily maid service is in-
cluded with villa rentals.
Wharf (%242-367-8762; mains $7-20; hbreakfast,
lunch & dinner Wed-Mon) This place overlooking
the marina serves hearty US-style and Baha-
mian breakfasts. Also head here for salads,
soups and burgers and a wide-ranging dinner
menu including seafood starters and pizza.
Tamboo Dinner Club (%242-367-8203; Great Har-
bour Marina; mains $25-50; hWed & Sat) Dress up
and book ahead to eat at this elegant club
along with the expats. The menu includes
www.lonelyplanet.com
boned duck, Bahamian-style spicy chicken
and seafood. Booking is compulsory.
Watergate Bar & Restaurant (%242-367-8177;
mains $8-14; hbreakfast & lunch) Try this place, op-
posite the school, for huge servings of pork
chops, peas ’n’ rice and potato salad. It’s a
gas at lunchtime when the schoolkids pour
in for their takeout lunches.
Mama & Papa T’s Beach Club (hbreakfast, lunch
& snacks until 3pm) For a beer and burger try
this eatery on the beach facing Great Har-
bour Bay.
You can buy groceries and general goods
at the Marina Store (%242-367-8768), and there
are plenty of other small grocery stores.
Try Roberts Disco & Lounge for evening
activities.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Refer to p288 for information on interna-
tional flights to the Bahamas and p126 for
details on getting to the Biminis.
The Berry Islands are served by two air-
ports: Great Harbour Cay Airport, based on
Great Harbour Cay; and Chub Cay Airport,
at Chub Cay. The one-way fare from Great
Harbour to Nassau is $70.
BOAT
Call the Dockmaster’s Office (%242-394-1237)
in Nassau and check the website of the
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (www.bahamas.com)
for the latest schedules and prices.
The following mail boats are available:
MV Bimini Mack Departs Nassau for Chub Cay, Bimini and
Cat Cay on Thursday ($45, 12 hours), returning Monday.
MV Captain Gurth Deane Departs from Nassau for Bul-
lock’s Harbour ($45, seven hours) on Friday, returning Sunday.
Marina
Boaters and pilots arriving from abroad must
clear Immigration (%242-367-8112) and Customs
(%242-367-8566) at Great Harbour Cay.
Berry Island Club (%800-933-3533; VHF Channel 16;
Frazzer’s Cay) Provides eight moorings and 10 slips, and
has a restaurant and bar.
Great Harbour Cay Yacht Club & Marina (%242-
367-8076; VHF Channels 16 & 68) Has 86 slips and full
services.
Getting Around
Happy People’s Gift Shop & Rentals (%242-367-
8117; Great Harbour Marina; h8am-5pm) rents bi-
cycles ($20 per day), scooters ($50 per day)
A N D R O S 135
and Suzuki jeeps ($65 per day). Deposits
are required and weekly rates are available.
CHUB CAY
The southernmost isle in the chain, this lit-
tle place has been popular over the years
with all sorts of moneyed folk who like to
fish, from Texan businessmen to Quincy
Jones and Bill Cosby.
The 4-mile-long Chub Cay sits at the
edge of the Tongue of the Ocean and offers
fabulous wall-diving. One of the best sites is
Mama Rhoda Rock, protected by the Bahamas
National Trust and known for its moray
eels, lobsters and yellow trumpetfish, as
well as healthy staghorn and elkhorn coral.
There’s a shipwreck with cannon nearby.
Divers will require their own gear.
Favored by boaters and sportfishing
fans, Chub Cay Club & Marina (%242-325-1490;
www.chubcay.com; nas) offers a range of
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
comfortable rooms and three-bed villas
on the beach. The club’s amenities include
tennis courts, diving and fishing trips. At
the time of writing this exclusive club was
& ANDROS
closed for extensive renovations; it’s due to
reopen in March 2006. The historic two-
story Berry Island Club (%800-993-3533; VHF Chan-
nel 68; Frazer’s Cay; r $130; na) on Frazer’s Hog
Cay has nicely appointed rooms over the
stone-and-timber clubhouse; one room has
a four-poster bed. Its restaurant has a fine
reputation among sailors and its charming
little bar also draws mariners.
Refer left for information on travel to the
Berry Islands.
ANDROS
pop 7380
Andros is the largest island in the Bahamas,
a whopping 2300 sq miles, and has been
barely touched by the tourist dollar. It actu-
ally comprises three main islands separated
by enormous bights, or sounds, that are up to
25 miles across and spotted with numerous
cays. Divers and bonefishing fans go mad for
Andros’ seas, which offer some of the best
diving and bonefishing in the Bahamas.
It is bounded on one side by the Great
Bahama Bank, an underwater plateau that
is about as shallow as the island is high. A
140-mile-long coral reef lies a few hundred
yards to 2 miles off the east shore (surpassed
 136 A N D R O S www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A N D R O S 137

ANDROS 0
0
30 km
20 miles
in length only by Australia’s Great Barrier History
Reef and the Reef off the Caribbean Coast The wild island became a refuge for both
A B 19 C D of Central America). Beyond it, barely two Seminole Indians and runaway slaves flee-
10

1
Morgan’s Bluff
Providence
Northeast ENTERTAINMENT
Cabana Beach Bar................... 38 D6
miles from shore, the plateau drops off to ing Florida during colonial days. A com-
Lowe Sound
Red Bay
31
Nicholl's Town
Conch Sound
Channel Donny's Sugar Sweet Lounge..(see 30) a very dark 6000ft in the Tongue of the munity of their descendants still exists in
1 9 23 Conch Sound Happy Three Soca Club........... 39 D4
Leadon's Creek Side Lounge &
Ocean canyon. Red Bay on the northwest coast.
37
San Andros Mastic Point Disco..................................(see 20)
Nassau
Andros is akin to a tremendous 100- Andros’ renowned sponge beds, west of the
44
San Andros 36
Lewis' Restaurant & Bar.........(see
International 38)
Airport
mile-long and 45-mile-wide jigsaw puzzle, island, supported much of the population
Airport 32
25º00'N SHOPPING divided by countless creeks, lakes, palm in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
Gibson's Straw Market............ 40 D5
Great Bahama
Wendy's Craft Centre............(see 21)
savannas and eerie primal forests of ma- until a mysterious blight in 1938. Some be-
Bank hogany, pine and palmetto, as well as vast lieve that the island was named by Greek
TRANSPORT
North Andros Stafford Creek Basil Martin............................(see 37) mangrove swamps. This probably helps spongers for the Mediterranean island of
INFORMATION
6 Blanket
Sound
Ferry Dock & Mail-Boat Dock.. 41 D4 explain why it has so far escaped the com- Andros. A few locals still make a living
Ferry Dock & Mail-Boat Dock.. 42 D4
Andromed Medical Centre.........1 B1 Staff Gas Station.............................. 43 C2 mercial development of Nassau, just 25 sponging (see the boxed text, below), but
2 ord 25
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.....2 C2
Bank of the Bahamas
Ck
Staniard Creek
Gordon Gaitor Car Rental.........44 B1 miles away. most earn a living from fishing. The famous
International..........................3 D4 5 Love Hill
Various Bahamian settlements sprawl Androsian sloops, however, have been re-
Bank of the Bahamas
International..........................4 D5 43
Beach
Love Hill along Queen’s Hwy on the east coast, sepa- placed by fiberglass outboards.
BaTelCo.....................................5 C2 8
15
Calabash Bay rated by an immensity of scrub and forest
BaTelCo...................................(see 3)
BaTelCo...................................(see 1)
13 Fresh
Ck
2
18
30 7 Andros Town & Coakley Town
filled with wildlife. Unfortunately much of Dangers & Annoyances
Canadian Imperial Bank...........(see 1)
Andros Town Somerset Beach this fauna is hunted; wild boar in particu- A word of warning, especially for hikers
Government Medical Clinic........6 C2
Government Medical Clinic......(see 2)
Airport lar, but also dove, duck, quail and white- and bird-watchers; the gargantuan forests,
Queen's
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

Government Medical Clinic......(see 1)
Tongue crowned pigeons (the latter are slaughtered marshlands and scrublands are also used
Government Clinic...................(see 3)
Police.......................................(see 2) Bowen Sound of the
each spring). During late spring and early by Bahamians hunting wild boar and birds,
3 Police.......................................(see 1) summer, giant land crabs cross the road en so be careful.
Hwy

Police.......................................(see 4) Ocean
masse for a paroxysm of mating and egg Also come well prepared for the aggressive
& ANDROS

& ANDROS
Police.......................................(see 3)
Central Andros
Post Office...............................(see 2)
Post Office...............................(see 1)
20
Cargill Creek 24º30'N laying, though many end up in Androsian horsefly (or ‘doctor fly,’ because its bite hurts
Post Office...............................(see 3) l Ck 29
Cargil 27
14
cooking pots. The skies are also busy; pa- like a syringe) and clouds of mosquitoes.
Saunder's Drugs and Notions...(see 3)
Scotiabank...............................(see 1)
Behring Point
34
trolled by turkey buzzards and shrieking
North
Bight
ospreys. Or is that the mythical and evil Getting There & Away
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
AUTEC......................................7 C3
chickcarnies (see the boxed text, p139) you Many visitors arrive in Andros by plane.
Captain Bill’s Blue Hole..............8 C2 Big Wood can hear…? There are four regional airports, however,
Charlie’s Blue Hole......................9 B1 Cay
Henry Morgan’s Cave...............10 B1
4 Seascape Divers....................... 11 D4 Little Harbour
24
3
(Moxey Town)
Stargate Blue Hole................... 12 D6 33 SPONGERS
Twin Lakes..............................13 C2 Great 11 39
Middle Bight Mangrove
Wood Cay 28 Cay 26 The sponges that made this island so famous lie in water or mudflats so shallow that they can
SLEEPING Bahama Airport 42
Andros Island Bonefishing Lisbon Creek be pried from the coral with rods.
Bank Drigg’s Hill
41
Club.................................... 14 D3 Mangrove 21 The sponge is a marine animal composed mainly of microscopic calcareous rods, stars and
Androsia Ltd............................15 C2 Cay 35
Bair Bahamas Guest House......16 D5 EATING Congo Town
Airport
hooks held in place by elastic fibers. Nourishment is extracted from water via a vast network of
Bonefish Beach Club................ 17 D6 Adderley's Bargain Mart.......... 30 C3 40 Congo Town pores and canals. Although they don’t have hearts or brains, sponges produce sperm and eggs.
Chickcarnie's Hotel..................18 C2 Big J's on the Bay Restaurant &
Coakley House.......................(see 15) Bar........................................31 B1 South The Bluff There are various species, including the supersoft ‘velvet’ or wool sponge, and the ‘hardhead,’
Conch Sound Resort Inn...........19 B1 Brinka's Hallelujah Corner.........32 B1 Bight High Rock
Creekside Lodge......................20 C3 Cargill Creek Convenience
so durable that it has many industrial uses.
5 Emerald Palms Resort.............. 21 D4 Store..................................(see 20) Kemp’s Sponging in the Bahamas began in earnest in 1841 after a Frenchman, Gustave Renouard, was
Bay
George's Point Villas..............(see 18) Dianne Cash..........................(see 33)
Glato's Apartments.................. 22 D5 Fish Fry....................................(see 1)
4 24º00'N shipwrecked here and discovered superior sponges to the Mediterranean varieties. Greek deep-
22 Deep
Green Windows Inn.................23 C1 Fisherman's Paradise..............(see 38) South Andros Creek sea sponge divers left their homeland to make their money from the Bahamian seabed, using
Hellen's Motel Complex.......... 24 D4 Hank's Place, Restaurant &
Kamalame Cay Villas................25 C2 Bar.....................................(see 30) 16
glass-bottom buckets and a hooked pole. (Today spongers dive with snorkel or scuba gear. They
Little Creek
Lighthouse Yacht Club & McPhee's Food & Variety
Deep Ck also slice the sponges at the base, leaving the root to regenerate). Ashore, the sponges were
Marina...............................(see 18) Store................................... 33 D4 17
Mangrove Cay Club...............(see 24) Pineyard Discount Centre.......(see 32) beaten to death and put in shallow-water ‘kraals’ to allow the flesh to rot and decompose. Then
12
Mangrove Cay Inn.................. 26 D4 Sea View Restaurant & Bar...... 34 D3 38 Mars they were rinsed, pounded to a pleasing fluffiness, and strung up to dry before being shipped
Moxey’s Guest House & Bonefish Square Deal Restaurant .......... 35 D5 Bay
Lodge................................(see 24) Stacey's Restaurant & Lounge..(see 33) for sale at the Greek Sponge Exchange in Nassau.
Nottage’s Cottages..................27 C3 At the close of the 19th century, 500 schooners and sloops and 2800 smaller vessels were work-
Point of View Villas................(see 18) DRINKING
6 Seascape Inn..........................(see 24) Bluebird Club.........................(see 35) ing the sponge beds, and in the peak year of 1917, 1½ million lb of sponges were exported. ‘The
Skinny's Landmark Motel.......(see 18) Flamingo Club........................(see 35) Mud,’ an extensive 140-mile-long, 40-mile-wide shoal off Andros, was a major source of income
Small Hope Bay Lodge...........(see 15) Rubber Tree Bar.......................36 C1
Taimo Resort........................... 28 C4 Twilight Zone........................(see 31) for sponge divers. Sponging was the chief source of livelihood on all the Bahamian islands until
Tranquility Hill Fishing Lodge...29 C3 Woody’s Beach Club................37 C1
1938, when a fungal blight killed the sponges overnight.
78º30'W 78º00'W 77º30'W
 138 A N D R O S • • N o r t h & C e n t r a l A n d r o s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A N D R O S • • N o r t h & C e n t r a l A n d r o s 139

so be sure to fly to the correct one for wher-
ever you intend to stay. You can also catch
a fast ferry (car and passenger) or mail boat
to the islands.
Getting Around
This is a tough place to get around. Car rent-
als are mainly organized on an informal ad
hoc basis. This means that you may not get a
rental unless you book ahead, and even then
it won’t be guaranteed. Taxis also run on an
informal basis, and can be very expensive.
Getting between the islands that make up
Andros is only possible by flight or coord-
inating mail-boat schedules, though a small
passenger ferry runs between Lisbon Creek
and Drigg’s Hill in South Andros.
NORTH & CENTRAL ANDROS
Technically one island, North and Central
Andros are the largest of the three islands
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
houses and shacks dot along the roads, with
US-model cars rusting on their front lawns.
To head south, follow the road via the
little fishing village of Lowe Sound, and
then pass Conch Sound to Mastic Point.
This small commercial harbor dates from
1781, and is the place to hunt down goom-
bay music. Much of the land inland around
San Andros is intensively farmed for citrus,
potatoes, tomatoes and other produce.
INFORMATION
Banks open Monday and Wednesday, but the
hours across the whole island are erratic.
Andromed Medical Centre (%242-329-2171;
Queen’s Hwy, Nicholl’s Town).
BaTelCo (%242-329-2131)
Canadian Imperial Bank (%242-329-2164)
Government Medical Clinic (%242-329-2399;
Nicholl’s Town)
Police (%919, Nicholl’s Town %242-329-2353, Lowe
BEWARE THE CHICKCARNIES AND LUSCA’S LAIR
To you or me, the cheeky chickcarnie is a product of local imagination. But to the Androsians,
the devil-in-disguise is as real as the nose on your face.
Chickcarnies are a strange hybrid of man and bird; red-eyed, three-fingered, owl-like elves
with beards and feathered scalps that supposedly live atop cotton or pine trees and hang by
their tails. They wreak mayhem on whoever disturbs them, screech like the damned and are
quite vain. Additionally, if you don’t show them the proper respect, your punishment could be
pretty severe. Local opinion is that if you happen upon one, it is wisest to strip down to your
underwear; it shows that you have nothing to hide (though this advice does sound a bit like a
leg-pull for credulous visitors!).
At the end of the 19th century, when sisal growers were thriving, young Neville Chamberlain
(British prime minister 1937–40) and his father ran a 4000-acre sisal plantation, Twin Lakes Farm,
16 miles inland up Fresh Creek, but the enterprise failed. Locals firmly believe this happened
because the Chamberlains disturbed the chickcarnies, who caused Neville no end of grief – not
least the Munich Pact (the treaty signed between Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler and Mussolini in
1938, which resulted in the annexation of Czechoslovakia). Twin Lakes now lies in ruins, but the two
blue holes that gave the plantation its name can still be accessed by a rough, overgrown track.
Don’t miss the Chickcarnie Festival, held in October at Fresh Creek, North Andros, which
celebrates and respects these creatures.
Meanwhile Charlie’s Blue Hole, near Nicholl’s Town, is renowned for its ‘boil,’ a whirlpool

BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

that make up Andros (North Andros lies
north of Stafford Creek and Central An-
dros lies to the south). Much of the island
is smothered in pine forests that have twice
& ANDROS
Sound %242-329-7095) caused when water is sucked out to sea through subterranean passages. Any boats that happen
Post office (%242-329-2034; Nicholl’s Town) to be on the surface can be pulled underwater. Several boats have been lost this way, adding to
Scotiabank (%242-329-2700) the local legend of the monstrous octopus, Lusca, in residence here. Scuba divers have not yet
discovered this vile leggy monster, or maybe we just didn’t hear them scream…

been logged – first to provide pit props for
English coal mines and later for Chicago
newspapers. The island’s exotic hardwoods,
mahogany and lignum vitae (sometimes
called ‘sailor’s cure’ because its sap provided
a cure for syphilis in the 19th century), for
example, are long gone, but the logging
tracks remain. It’s the most popular of the
Andros islands, and visitors here enjoy great
diving, fine beaches and bonefishing.
For information on getting to and from
North and Central Andros, see p142.
Nicholl’s Town Area
A small sleepy center, Nicholl’s Town (pop-
ulation 270) has small stores, a supermarket,
a gas station, a Georgian-style government
building and equally endearing, more vener-
able colonial-era buildings at its heart.
Fishing boats line the shore and palms
fringe the beach. Behind which the town’s
TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’
Take note! The peak holiday time in An-
dros (February 20 to April 23) is different
to the rest of the Bahamas. This coincides
with the peak bonefishing season through
March and April.
SIGHTS
There’s a nice beach west of Morgan’s Bluff,
and a wharf where tankers and barges take
on 6 million gallons of water daily for New
Providence. The water is drawn from a mas-
sive reservoir north of San Andros that is
fed by a vast underground aquifer.
If you believe local lore, Henry Morgan,
the wily Welsh pirate, hid his treasure in a
cave – Henry Morgan’s Cave – about 30yd from
the road (it’s well signed). Bring a flashlight.
Scuba divers who first explored Charlie’s
Blue Hole (refer to the boxed text, opposite)
were quite astonished to find sharks swim-
ming in the narrow caverns. There is a sign
off Queen’s Hwy.
Another blue hole, Benjamin’s Blue Hole,
boasts fabulous underwater stalactites and
stalagmites.
ACTIVITIES
Rates are around $250/375 per half day/
day for bonefishing, $250/420 per half day/
day for reef fishing and $300/500 for deep-
sea fishing. The following are recommended
bonefishing guides:
Arthur Russell (%242-329-2484; Nicholl’s Town)
Bonefish Andros (%303-338-8540; www.bonefish
andros.com; Stafford Creek) Bonefishing packages are
$1095 per person for three nights’ accommodation, meals
and two days’ fishing with guides. Weeklong packages are
$2615 per person.
Neville ‘Uncle JT’ Dean (%242-329-7629; Lowe Sound)
SLEEPING & EATING
Credit cards may not be accepted at some
lodgings, so check when booking.
Conch Sound Resort Inn (%242-329-2060; conch
soundresort@yahoo.com; Conch Sound; d/ste $85/190;
pna) The motel-style lodgings are sur-
rounded by pine forests (good for hiking),
with the beach a free 10-minute shuttle
away. Pleasant but modest rooms have sat-
ellite TV, while simple units have kitchens.
Meals are served at the relaxing restaurant
and bar. Fishing and other activities can be
arranged.
Green Windows Inn (%242-329-2194; fax 242-
329-2016; Nicholl’s Town; r $80; pna ) This
charming green-roofed inn and guest res-
taurant is set in a tropical garden with or-
chids and fruit trees, a 10-minute walk from
the beach. Rooms come with satellite TV.
Bicycle and car rentals and scuba diving
are offered, and babysitting and bonefish-
ing trips can be arranged.
Big J’s on the Bay Restaurant & Bar (%242-
369-1954; Lowe Sound; mains $8-22; hbreakfast, lunch
& ANDROS
& dinner) Here you can munch on home-
style Bahamian dishes and seafood, watch
a game in the satellite lounge and sip a beer
or two.
You can stock up at the Pineyard Discount
Centre (%242-329-4595; San Andros) on the main
road south of Nicholl’s Town, next to which
a stall called Brinka’s Hallelujah Corner
serves real Bahamian fare at its finest.
DRINKING
For bars try the Twilight Zone (Mastic Point;
h9pm-late), Woody’s Beach Club (%242-329-3454;
Mastic Point) and nearby Rubber Tree Bar, where
dominoes is the name of the game.
For real atmosphere, however, enjoy fresh
fish and a rum cocktail or Kalik beer at the
Fish Fry on the beach in Nicholl’s Town.
GETTING THERE & AROUND
For information on flights, boats and fer-
ries, see p142.
You can rent cars from around $70 per
day and there’s a gas station at the entrance
to Nicholl’s Town.
Basil Martin (%242-329-3169; Mastic Point)
Gordon Gaitor Car Rental (%242-329-3043; San
Andros)
 140 A N D R O S • • N o r t h & C e n t r a l A n d r o s
Red Bay
The descendants of the Seminole Indians
and runaway slaves who fled Florida in the
17th and 18th centuries live at this down-
at-the-heels settlement on the west coast of
Andros. A few locals earn an income from
weaving, using practices passed down from
Seminole forebears. Handwoven, watertight
straw baskets are sold, along with others in-
terwoven with locally made batik fabrics.
Stafford Creek Area
The southern road from Nicholl’s Town cuts
inland through pine forest before heading
south. It then turns east and leaps over the
mouth of Stafford Creek. On the northern
side of the bridge is the disheveled village of
Staniard Creek, which sits on the southern end
of a cay. A really lovely 2-mile-long beach
forms the eastern shore, with swaying palm
trees and enticing tranquility.
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
For medical services try the Government
Medical Clinic (%242-368-6238).
Kamalame Cay Villas (%242-368-6281; www.ka
malame.com; r marina/beach $560/650; pnas),
& ANDROS
tucked away at the north end of Staniard
Creek, has thoroughly luxurious rental vil-
las where you will want for nothing. Big and
beautiful rooms are furnished with polished
antiques, while your watery requirements
are met by the azure sea, the marina and
water sports. Rates include all meals, house
wines and liquor.
Fresh Creek Area
pop 2456
Andros Town and Coakley Town make
up the Fresh Creek township and are the
crossroads of Central Andros, lying about 30
miles south of Nicholl’s Town. A giant plas-
tic crab greets visitors at Coakley Town on
the north side of the creek; the hamlet of An-
dros Town is on the south side. Fresh Creek
itself extends from the inland depths of An-
dros. This is an area popular with divers and
anglers, many of whom head here for the
facilities at Small Hope Bay Lodge.
INFORMATION
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-368-2286;
Andros Town)
BaTelCo (%242-368-2521)
Government Medical Clinic (%242-368-2038)
On the north side of the Fresh Creek Bridge.
Police (%242-368-2626, 919; Coakley Town)
www.lonelyplanet.com
Post office (%242-368-2012; Coakley Town)
Royal Bank of Canada (%242-368-2071; h9:30am-
3:30pm Wed)
SIGHTS
The jointly run US-UK navies’ Atlantic Under-
sea Test & Evaluation Center (Autec) antisubmar-
ine warfare testing facility is a mile south of
town and strictly off limits; the same goes
for the waters up to 2 miles offshore.
Somerset Beach is 2 miles south of town,
and when the tide recedes, the miles-long
beach is extremely deep and splendid. Wad-
ing birds patrol the shore, and you can ad-
mire the sand dollars at low tide.
The famous Androsia batiks of Androsia
Ltd (%242-368-2020; www.androsia.com; h9am-4pm
Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm Sat) are sold throughout the
Bahamas. Melding age-old wax techniques
and island motifs, workers create a wide
range of clothing out of four types of nat-
ural fabrics. A guide will show you around
and there’s a factory outlet.
Calabash Bay is a small coastal settlement,
which gains a certain charm from its several
churches and the flats that are picked at by
herons when the tide is out. An apocryphal
story has Henry Morgan and Blackbeard
together here with a cache of treasure. The
two rogues rowed ashore with six sailors,
buried the loot and then killed the wit-
nesses. As they were rowing back, one of
the two supposedly said ‘There’s small hope
that’ll ever be found.’ Hence the bay’s alter-
native name, Small Hope Bay.
The Small Hope Bay settlement merges
into the Love Hill settlement, where a side road
just north of the gas station reaches pleas-
ant Love Hill Beach. Nearby, Captain Bill’s Blue
Hole, amid pine forests, is popular with divers.
There’s a ladder and a rope swing for would-
be Tarzans. Twin Lakes Farm (see the boxed
text, p139) and the two blue holes that gave
the plantation its name are also nearby.
ACTIVITIES
Diving & Snorkeling
For some fabulous dive sites, try the fol-
lowing: the Barge, where a wreck lies 70ft
below the surface and is now a home to
large groupers; the Black Forest, with its
crop of three dozen black coral trees; the
deep Blue Hole, where large rays and sharks
often gather; and the Potomac, a 345ft Brit-
ish tanker that sank in 1929.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Expert divers may venture to Alex & Cara
Caverns, descending 90ft on the edge of the
Tongue of the Ocean, and to Over the Wall,
which begins at 80ft and plunges another
100ft at the edge of the Tongue of the Ocean.
The Tongue itself drops another 6000ft.
Snorkelers should seek out the Solarium,
shallow flats favored by lobsters and sting-
rays; Red Shoal, for schooling grunts and
elkhorn reef; and China Point, where blue
tangs and sergeant majors frolic. Also try
the Compressor, where, yes, a compressor
has metamorphosed into a reef; Central
Park, with acres of corals; and Trumpet Reef,
home to brittle stars and spiny urchins.
The only operator is Small Hope Bay
Lodge, highly acclaimed by divers, which
offers a whole range of specialist and basic
one-/two-tank dives ($50/70) and night and
shark dives ($60/85), as well as snorkeling
trips ($25). Divers should ask about blue-
hole dives and wall dives to 185 feet.
Bonefishing & Sportfishing
Small Hope Bay Lodge and Coakley House
offer bonefishing ($250/375 per half/full
day; add $40 for fishing North Bight or Staf-
ford Creek), reef fishing ($250/420 per half/
full day) and deep-sea fishing ($300/500 per
half/full day).
Lighthouse Yacht Club & Marina also has
bonefishing ($250/300 per half/full day).
TOURS
The Small Hope Bay Lodge offers some
great bird-watching treks with ornitholo-
gists. Check what is planned closer to the
time of your visit.
SLEEPING
Credit cards may not be accepted by guest-
houses or some smaller lodgings; check
when booking.
Skinny’s Landmark Motel (% 242-368-2082;
Coakley Town; r $70; pna ) This no-frills
place has simply furnished, pine-walled
rooms above a lively restaurant and bar.
The rooms have TVs, and balconies over-
looking the village. Skinny’s wife, Carmetta,
brews up a mean hot-pepper sauce to en-
liven her traditional-style dishes at their
restaurant and bar.
Lighthouse Yacht Club & Marina (%242-368-
2305; www.androslighthouse.com; r $120, villas $140;
pnas) Named for the neighboring
A N D R O S • • N o r t h & C e n t r a l A n d r o s 141
107-year-old lighthouse, these nicely fur-
nished modern rooms and villas, replete
with fridges and balconies, are often en-
joyed by yachties. A spacious, elegant res-
taurant and bar serves seafood, Bahamian
dishes and great buffet breakfasts. Breakfast
and dinner packages for guests are $40 per
person. Facilities include a games room,
bicycle rentals, tennis courts and fishing
charters.
Small Hope Bay Lodge (%242-368-2014; www
.smallhope.com; Calabash Bay; r $209; pn) Families
and anglers head to this cozy, informal dive
resort made out of coral rock and pine. A
central lodge strewn with couches and throw
pillows incorporates a library, games room,
music, and a bar hewn from half a boat. All
rooms and cottages look out onto the beach,
and have king-size beds, screened windows
and Androsia batik fabrics. Fine US-style
breakfasts, pig-roast barbecues and buffets
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
are served on a tree-shaded patio by the
beach. Restaurant reservations are essen-
tial for nonguests. They will host weddings
($500) for those taken by the moment.
& ANDROS
The following we also recommended.
Coakley House (%242-368-2013; www.smallhope
.com/CH; Calabash Bay; r night/week $300/1750;
pna) A large three-bedroom villa.
George’s Point Villas (%242-368-2238; www
.georgespoint.com; Fresh Creek; nightly/weekly $95/600;
pna) Waterside (perfect for spotting dolphins)
and spacious.
Point of View Villas (%242-368-2750; fax 242-368-
2761; Fresh Creek; r $300; pnas) A little village
complex of two-bed cottages, which also has a great little
restaurant.
EATING & DRINKING
Hank’s Place Restaurant & Bar (%242-368-2447;
Fresh Creek; mains $10-22; hlunch & dinner) For in-
expensive but good food head to Hank’s,
where a shady deck overhanging the creek
is the prime spot to munch buffalo wings,
baked snapper or lobster washed down with
the house drink, a lethal cocktail called the
Hanky Panky. Look out for weekend fish
fries and roasts.
Donny’s Sugar Sweet Lounge (%242-368-2080)
This is the place to drink and dance despite
the less than glamorous surroundings. Who
cares, it gets packed at weekends with some
hot music and cold beers.
Chickcharnie’s Hotel (% 242-368-2026; Coak-
ley Town; mains $8-18; hlunch & dinner) Try this
 142 A N D R O S • • N o r t h & C e n t r a l A n d r o s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A N D R O S • • S o u t h A n d r o s 143

place for simple and tasty Bahamian dishes,
served in the dining room which overlooks
the creek. They also have a grocery store.
Square Deal Restaurant (%242-368-2593) Serves
simple Bahamian fare.
Captain Crunch Fish Fry (Calabash Bay) Should
be visited for the name alone.
Adderley’s Bargain Mart (%242-368-2201) For
fruit and veggies; it’s by the lighthouse.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Refer to p288 for information on interna-
tional flights to the Bahamas.
Andros is served by four airports:
Andros Town Airport (ASD; %242-368-2030) Three
miles south of Fresh Creek.
Congo Town Airport (TZN; %242-369-2640) Four
miles north of Congo Town.
Mangrove Cay Airport (MAY; %242-369-0083) Sits
on Mangrove Cay.
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
The following mail boats are available
for travel:
MV Lisa JIII Departs Nassau for Morgan’s Bluff and
Nicholl’s Town ($30, six hours) on Wednesday, returning
Tuesday.
MV Lady D Departs Nassau for Fresh Creek ($35, 5½
hours) on Tuesday, returning on Sunday.
MV Mangrove Cay Express Departs Nassau for Drigg’s
Hill, Mangrove Cay and Cargill Creek ($30, 5½ hours) on
Thursday, returning on Tuesday.
MV Captain Moxey Departs Nassau for Kemp’s Bay,
Long Bay and the Bluff ($35, 7½ hours) on Monday, return-
ing Wednesday.
Ferry
Bahamas Ferries (%242-323-2166, 242-323-2168;
www.bahamasferries.com; child/adult/car $20/35/140)
operates a car-and-passenger ferry service
from Nassau to Morgan’s Bluff (2½ hours)
on Monday and Saturday, and to Fresh
Creek on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
SLEEPING
The lodgings are designed for anglers seek-
ing bonefishing packages, not romantic
beachy getaways.
Andros Island Bonefishing Club (%242-368-5167;
www.androsbonefishing.com; Cargill Creek; pna)
Small wood and concrete bungalows each
have a fridge and private bathroom. They
lie just 100yd away from a productive wad-
able flat with bonefish. Seven- and three-
night packages (single/double $1540/2240)
include all meals and transfers.
Tranquility Hill Fishing Lodge (% /fax 242-
368-4132; www.tranquilityhill.com; Behring Point; s/d
$175/320; pna) It may look blocky from
the outside, but its interiors are clean and
bright and all rooms have TV. Rates include
all meals. Fishing packages are offered.
Also recommended:
Creekside Lodge (%242-368-5395; Cargill Creek; s/d
$185/320; pna)
Mangrove Cay
The cay makes up northern South Andros.
A narrow but lovely beach stretches out
along the eastern shore, and at least 23 blue
holes await exploration. Little Harbour or
‘Moxey Town’ is the (only) center and was
blessed with electricity in 1989.
Andros’ southernmost airport is at Man-
grove Cay.
INFORMATION
Banks open on Monday and Wednesday,
but the hours are erratic.
Bank of the Bahamas International (%242-369-
0502)
BaTelCo (%242-369-0131)
Government Medical Clinic (%242-369-0089)
Police (%242-369-0083)
Post office (%242-369-0494)
Saunder’s Drugs & Notions (%242-369-0312)

BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

San Andros Airport (SAQ; %242-329-4224) About 10
miles south of Nicholl’s Town.
Flights between these airports are $30 one
& ANDROS
Nottage’s Cottages (%242-368-4297; bigcharlie SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
GETTING AROUND andros@yahoo.com; Charlie’s Haven; s/d $180/345) Lynward Saunders (%242-369-0414) will show
The Mastic Point harbor is clogged by Upgraded in 2004. you how sponges are cleaned and dried and
sunken boats and is not recommended for made ready for export.

& ANDROS
way and depart twice weekly. private boaters. EATING & DRINKING There is no shortage of bonefishing guides
The following airlines fly between An- The Lighthouse Yacht Club & Marina You can dine and drink at any of the fish- who will charge around $350 per day for
dros and other Bahamian islands: (p141) has 18 slips for vessels. ing lodges. two people. On Mangrove Cay, try Ralph
Bahamasair (UP; Andros%242-377-5505, Freeport You can rent a car for $80 to $90 per Sea View Restaurant & Bar (%242-368-4005; Moxey (%242-369-0218) or ‘Bonefish’ John (ask
%242-352-8341; www.bahamasair.com; hubs Nassau day (plus $200 deposit) from several places. Behring’s Point) Locals frequent this place, around, everyone knows him).
& Freeport) There’s an Esso gas station in Love Hill, 100yd south of the Cargill Creek Bridge. Seascape Divers at Seascape Inn rents
Major’s Air Services (%242-352-5778; www.the and gas pumps on Edgecomb’s St in Cala- Leadon’s Creek Side Lounge & Disco (%242- scuba equipment and offers Professional
bahamasguide.com/majorair; hubs Grand Bahama & bash Bay. AMKLCO (%242-368-2056) garage also 368-4167; Cargill Creek) Open till around 3am Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
Eleuthera) rents cars. on weekends, head here for some classic instruction (prices on application).
Western Air (%242-329-4000; fax 242-329-3167; hubs When booking accommodations ask Bahamian artists and rake ‘n’ scrape bands
Andros & Nassau) about taxis, as they run on an informal like Kelly & the Boys. SLEEPING & EATING
basis. However, be warned: the drivers can Cargill Creek Convenience Store (%242-368- Seascape Inn (%/fax 242-369-0342; www.seascapeinn
The following fares are one way. be a little greedy as there are no formalized 5221) Buy groceries here. .com; standard/superior cabanas incl breakfast $135/145;
rate structures. pn) Right on the beach, 2 miles south of
Route Price Frequency SOUTH ANDROS Little Harbour, these attractive and simply
Cargill Creek Area Virtually bypassed by tourists, South An- furnished off-ground cabanas come with
Andros Town–Freeport $150 2 weekly You are now in supreme bonefishing ter- dros has superb bonefishing and some private decks, ceiling fans and beach views.
Andros Town–Nassau $68 2 daily ritory; anglers, polish your rod and head beautiful beaches. Look out for Androsian Hammocks encourage lounging, while free
Congo Town–Freeport $150 2 weekly onwards. Cargill Creek opens westward into iguanas, which can grow to 5ft in length bicycle and kayak trips are on offer, and
Congo Town–Nassau $68 2 daily the expansive flats of both the North and and dwell in scattered coppices. quotes for diving and bonefishing can be
San Andros–Freeport $150 2 weekly Middle Bights. Queen’s Hwy continues Most locals reside on lobstering, crab- given. There’s a lofty all-timber restaurant
San Andros–Nassau $68 2 daily south approximately 2 miles to Behring Point, bing or sponging, but pockets of poverty and bar on tall stilts, with a TV, dartboard
South Andros–Freeport $150 2 weekly which is located on top of a bluff overlook- do exist. Sir Lynden Pindling (the ‘fallen’ and stereo. On Sunday a Fish Fry is hosted.
South Andros–Nassau $68 2 daily ing the mouth of North Bight. North Bight former Bahamian prime minister) hails Breakfast is included in the rates.
separates the island from Mangrove Cay. from here (see p24). Moxey’s Guest House & Bonefish Lodge (%242-
Boat Contact Tranquillity Hill Fishing Lodge Refer opposite for information on travel 369-0023; fax 242-369-0726; r $90; pna) Dat-
Call the Dockmaster’s Office (%242-394-1237) and Nottage’s Cottages, which will put you to Mangrove Cay and South Andros. For ing from the 1930s, this attractive two-story
and check the website of the Bahamas Min- in touch with some excellent bonefishing getting around, ask about taxis or possible yellow and white stuccoed lodge sits di-
istry of Tourism (www.bahamas.com) for the latest guides working out of Cargill Creek and car hire when booking accommodation. A rectly on the water in Little Harbour. A vast
schedules and prices. Behring Point. cash deposit for rentals will be required. and generous almond tree shades the front,
 © Lonely Planet Publications
144 A N D R O S • • S o u t h A n d r o s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A N D R O S • • S o u t h A n d r o s 145

and the rooms are modestly yet attractively
furnished. There’s a delightful dining room
and a splendid and popular bar. Packages
are on offer.
Mangrove Cay Inn (%242-369-0069; fax 242-369-
0014; r $110; pna) This place is set amid
lawns about 200yd from a beach, and there
are three blue holes nearby. Bicycle and
snorkel-gear rentals, a guest laundry and
a bar with an electric piano are on offer.
Credit cards are not accepted.
Taimo Resort (%242-357-2489; http://www.tiamo
resorts.com/; r $380; na) This award-winning
and solar-powered resort has ecofriendly
beachside bungalows for adults.
Hellen’s Motel Complex (%/fax 242-369-0033; s/d
$70/85; pna) Small, clean rooms.
Mangrove Cay Club (% 242-369-0731; www
.mangrovecayclub.com; pna) For dedicated
bonefishing fans. Three- and seven-night
packages are offered (for the latter, single/
BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS
beach, where buffets are hosted. Hammocks
are strung between palms. Bonefishing, div-
ing, snorkeling and excursions are offered.
A MAP (breakfast, lunch and dinner) plan
costs $70 daily and ocean-view lodgings
start at $495.
Four hundred yards south of the resort,
Square Deal Restaurant (%242-368-6050) serves
Bahamian meals, as do the Bluebird Club
and Flamingo Club (%242-369-2671; Drigg’s Hill).
Both clubs have pool tables and host local
nightlife.
For shopping, try Gibson’s Straw Market
(Congo Town). You can buy homemade jew-
elry crafted from shells at Wendy’s Craft Center
(Drigg’s Hill), opposite the BaTelCo office.
A small government-run passenger ferry
runs from Lisbon Creek to Drigg’s Hill.
The Bluff & High Rock
Three miles south of Congo Town, The
Glato’s Apartments (%242-369-4669; www.island
aze.com/glatos; Johnson’s Bay; r $80; pna) Four
hundred yards north of the bridge over Deep
Creek, this two-story guesthouse is simple
but modern, surrounded by lawns and within
yards of the ocean. Fishing packages for three
days are $1500 and the owners adhere to a
strict catch and release policy for fish.
Bair Bahamas Guest House (%/fax 242-369-4518;
pna) For a more intimate experience,
head to Little Creek and check in at this
charming, strawberry-pink three-bedroom
guesthouse with TV lounge and meals, in-
cluding fabulous coconut shrimp and key
lime pie. Bonefishing packages are $580 per
person per day.
Bonefish Beach Club (%242-369-1608; fax 242-
369-1934; r $75; pna) This place to stay is
also recommended, with six-night fishing
packages at $3175/4600 per single/double.
Grab a Bahamian snack in Mars Bay at
Fisherman’s Paradise. Lewis’ Restaurant & Bar
offers barbecues and dances on weekends,
as does the Cabana Beach Bar. On weekends
head for the Fish Fry north of town at Smith
Hill beachfront.
A minibus from Drigg’s Hill occasionally
stops at Kemp’s Bay.

BIMINIS, BERRY ISLANDS

double $4995/6380). Bluff is the largest and most orderly set-
Stacey’s Restaurant & Lounge (%242-369-0161) tlement on the island. The village extends
Bahamian dishes include fish and grits or south to the suburb of High Rock, a disor-
chips. derly place atop a limestone bluff overlook-
& ANDROS

Dianne Cash (%242-369-0430) For great sides
and peas ’n’ rice, head here; she has a small
place a mile south of the Seascape Inn.
You can buy groceries at McPhee’s Food
& Variety Store, opposite Seascape Inn.
ENTERTAINMENT
Happy Three Soca Club (%242-369-0030; Grants) Has
live soca music, dancing and a pool table.
Drigg’s Hill to Congo Town
Visitors to South Andros proper will land
at Congo Town airport, 3 miles south of
Drigg’s Hill, a scrawny hamlet facing Man-
grove Cay across South Bight at the north-
ern tip of the island. The equally diminutive
settlement of Congo Town, also known as
Long Bay, is 2 miles south of the airport.
Stanley ‘Jolly Boy’ Forbes (%242-369-4767) will
take you bonefishing for $375 per day for
two people.
Emerald Palms Resort (see following)
can organize a guide for walking tours to the
blue hole and swampland. It takes about
two hours.
The only true beach resort on Andros,
the rooms at Emerald Palms Resort (%242-
369-2713; www.emerald-palms.com; r $195; pna)
are small but quite nicely furnished. An ele-
gant dining room opens to the pool and the
& ANDROS
ing fabulously blue flats. Two narrow yet
beautiful beaches run north and south.
Kemp’s Bay to Mars Bay
Five miles south of High Rock, Kemp’s Bay
is a small yet lively center of action, with the
island’s high school and a concentration
of services.
Tinker’s Rock, a mile offshore, is favored by
fishermen. Catches are shipped aboard the
weekly mail boat to the Nassau market.
The road continues south through the tiny
settlement of Pleasant Bay and onto Mars Bay.
This colorful seaside settlement has quaint
wooden and emancipation-era stone houses
painted in bright pastels. You may see old
ladies weaving straw, and fishermen scaling
their catch down by the wharf, where a grand
old Androsian schooner lies beached.
Stargate Blue Hole, looking like a country
pond, is actually the local harbor! It des-
cends to about 300ft, with galleries of stal-
actites and stalagmites.
Based in Kemp Bay, there is the Bank of
the Bahamas International (%242-369-1787) and © Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
police (%242-368-4733, 919). restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
SLEEPING & EATING
This area is truly for anglers, exemplified in everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying
the accommodation choices and packages. the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’
 © Lonely Planet Publications
146 www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • H i s t o r y 147

ABACOS 0
0
30 km
20 miles

Abacos A

To Grand Cays (30mi);

Walker's Cay (32mi)
B C

27º00'N SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

D

Bronze Foundry & Gallery........(see 6)

Different of Abaco Nature Park..1 C4
ATLANTIC
1 Spanish Cay
Fox SLEEPING
Crown
Town Mount Angel Fish 5
Haven Hope Point OCEAN Miramar Cottage.......................2 D3
SCCooper’s Oeisha’s Resort........................(see 3)
Town
Yachting and the Abacos go together like wind and sail; the chain is known as ‘The Sailing Little Cedar Bo
ot
Pete & Gay’s Guest House.........3 B5
Sandy Beach Hideaway............(see 4)
Abaco Harbour le
Capital of the World.’ Visitors hire boats to wander the boomerang-shaped chain that has Rock
Harbour Cays
Hw
y
Seashell Beach Club...................4 C4
Spanish Cay Inn & Marina..........5 B1
Manjack Cay
130-mile-long Abaco, the nation’s third-largest settlement, and many smaller cays stretching Treasure Cay 9
Villa Poincianna.......................(see 2)
Airport See Green Turtle Zef Fessenden's shacks............(see 6)
7
200 miles from Walker’s Cay in the northwest to Cherokee Sound in the southeast. 10 Cay Map (p168)
No Name Cay
Whale
Most folks live in Abaco’s Marsh Harbour, a quiet working town with a small tourist center, 2
8
Cay
See Great Guana
or on the Loyalist Cays of Elbow, Man O’ War, Great Guana and Green Turtle. Tight-knit families Great Guana
Cay
Cay Map (p163)
See Treasure Cay Map (p166)
and expats live in colourful gingerbread houses adorned with white fascia, and painted Sea of
Abaco
flowers, fish and turtles. Their bloomfilled gardens are framed by picket fences which line Lightbourne Fowl Cay See Man-O' War
Cay Cay Map (p161)
the narrow streets where cars are banned and people go about their day on foot, golf cart National Reserve

or bicycle. The cays vary in size and character, but all have glorious white-sand beaches See Marsh Harbour Map (p149)
See Elbow Cay
Map (p156)
and little cottages to rent, so that you can happily play at island living. 26º30'N
Marsh Harbour
International
2

Airport
Little Bahamas Bank
Coral-reef gardens beckon; walk off village beaches like Great Guana Cay for easy snor- 3 The Marls
Spring
City
Tilloo Cay
Lubber’s Quarters Cay
keling, head to deeper waters for fabulous sportfishing, and experience the marine marvels Great
Pelican
Park Pelican Cays
Abaco Land & Sea Park
of Fowl Cay National Reserve among special diving sites. Sandy Cay Reef
Lynyard Cay

The inshore waters of the Sea of Abaco are also home to bottlenose dolphins. There is Mastic Point Little Harbour
Casuarina 6
Hard Bargain
Abacos National Park, made for hikers and bird-watchers seeking endangered Bahama par- More
Lake City Point
Island
rots, plus the exuberant onshore fun of sailing regattas and summer goombay festivities. 1 Cherokee Sound

y
Hw
4

co
ba
Great A
4 Cornwall Point
Northwest
Providence
HIGHLIGHTS Crossing Rocks
Channel
! Snorkel or dive with stingrays, angelfish and Gorda Cay
Green Turtle Cay
flounder at Pelican Cays Land & Sea Park
ABACOS

ABACOS
EATING
(p160), followed with a cold beer at nearby Pete’s Treasure Cay Beach Gully's Restaurant & Bar........(see 10)
Nancy's Seaside Inn, Sandy Point
Pub & Gallery (p164) Restaurant & Bar..................(see 3) 3 26º00'N
Pete’s Pub & Gallery..................6 D4 Rock Point
! Whiz down Elbow Cay’s length on a golf cart and stroll Hope Town Yahoe's Sand Bar & Grill..........(see 2)
Sandy Point
Airstrip
Abaco
National
pretty Hope Town (p155) Tilloo Cay 5
Park
TRANSPORT Cross Harbour
Airport Dock..........................(see 10)
! Lounge in the brilliant azure seas off the dazzling white Point
Cornish Car Rentals....................7 B2
crescent of Treasure Cay Beach (p165), one of the world’s Pelican Gas Station.................................8 B2 Hole-in-the-Wall
Lighthouse
Northeast Providence
Cays Land & Gas Station.................................9 B2 Channel
top 10 beaches Sea Park
Green Turtle Ferry....................10 B2
77º30'W 77º00'W
! Hire a boat and head for Tilloo Cay (p160) to spot the rare
and beautiful tropicbird
History Their names linger on today in quaint
! Sip a rum-laced Goombay Smash in the affable and tiny
After decimating the Lucayan Indian popu- communities whose residents cherish their
Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar (p171) on Green Turtle Cay
lation on ‘Habacoa,’ early Spanish explorers past and independence. On the eve of in-
moved on to more fruitful lands. It was not dependence in 1972, Loyalist Abaconians
until the American Revolution, when nu- petitioned the Queen to be made a British
merous loyalists left the newly independent crown colony, separate from the Bahamas.
! TELEPHONE CODE: 242 ! POPULATION: 14,815 ! AREA: 650 SQ MILES
USA in the 1700s and settled in the Abacos, Upon refusal, some even contemplated a
that a thriving population began. revolution. Each cay still follows its own
 148 A B A C O S • • M a r s h H a r b o u r www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • M a r s h H a r b o u r 149

Protestant church, but the islanders share centre for visitors to the Abacos. Despite a MARSH HARBOUR 0
0 1 mile
2 km

a strong Christian ethic. fairly unsophisticated demeanor and outer

The Loyalist settlers were mostly mer- pockets of obvious poverty, the town is a A B C D
chants and craftspeople involved in trading, pleasant enough gateway to the island’s ec- INFORMATION
Abaco Web Shop...............................1 C2
boatbuilding and salvaging shipwrecks, and lectic and charming set of cays. Police Station......................................2 B2 Sea of Abaco
they became relatively wealthy. Many expats have settled here. The 1
SLEEPING
This island group was severely affected wealthiest have their homes along Pelican D’s Guesthouse..................................3 B2
Outer Point
Cay Mermaid Reef
by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Jeanne and Shores Rd; at Eastern Shores, lined with Eastern
ek
Shores f Cre
Frances in 2004. However, rebuilding began beaches and shady casuarinas; and on Sugar r Loa
Murphy Suga Sugar Loaf
immediately after the hurricanes passed, al- Loaf Cay. By contrast, African-Bahamian Town 5 Cay

though roads remain potholed and many residents are found northwest of Marsh School Marsh
outlying villages still bear visible damage. Harbour in Dundas Town, a tumbledown Dundas 4 Harbour
Dun
suburb with a high crime rate (at least by Town das
Tow Bay
St

National Parks Bahamian standards). Forr

est
n R
2
d Marsh Harbour

Most of Abaco is smothered with scrub and Marsh Harbour, long-reliant on spong- 2 Dr See Downtown Marsh
3 Harbour Map (pp150–1)
pine forest, good for bird-watching and na- ing, fishing and shipbuilding, boomed in To
Cro
cke
tt D
6 7 Sea of Abaco
ture hikes and popular with locals hunting the mid-’80s, thanks to drug money and, Treasure
Cay (8mi)
r 8
1
SC Bo
wild boar. more recently, because of tourism. Boat- otle Hwy 26º32'N
Off the west shore of central Great Abaco ing is still hugely important to the local Anglican Church

is a vast wetlands area, the Marls, which economy, as is the steady stream of visiting
provides a vital nursery for young fish and yachties. EATING

y
Hw
Daily Bread.................................4 B2
invertebrates, plus an important habitat for A number of hurricanes have knocked

aco
ducks, egrets and herons. the town back over the years, most recently

Ab
TRANSPORT
Albury’s Ferry Service (Ferry to

eat
The Abacos has four national parks, no- in 2004, taking out necessary visitor infra- 3

Gr
Elbow, Man O’ War Cays)..... 5 D1
tably Pelican Cays Land & Sea Park (p160), structure such as marinas and boat yards; Gas Station................................6
Gas Station................................7
C2
C2
which preserves the barrier islands and these are yet again being rebuilt. Marsh Harbour
International Airport
9 Quality Star Rentals...................8 C2
coral reefs south of Tilloo Cay; also Tilloo To Cherokee
Sound (14mi);
Sea Star Rentals..........................9 B3

Cay National Reserve (p39); the 20,500-acre Orientation 77º06'W Sandy Point (35mi) 77º02'W

Abaco National Park (p165), which protects
the native habitat of the endangered Ba-
hama parrot and other wildlife; and Black
Sound Cay National Reserve (p39), which
has mangrove habitats loved by birds.
Getting There & Away
Most travelers to the Abacos fly into Marsh
Harbour’s International Airport, about 3
ABACOS
Marsh Harbour is situated on a peninsula
just off the Great Abaco Hwy, the main
road running part of the length of Great
Abaco.
At the southern edge of town, at the
junction with SC Bootle Hwy, Great Abaco
Hwy becomes Don McKay Blvd, which
leads past the clinic, post office and lead-
ing stores to Queen Elizabeth Dr, in the
INTERNET ACCESS Radio Abaco (%242-367-2935; fax 242-367-4531)
Abaco Web Shop (Map p149; %242-367-0116; The station broadcasts on 93.5FM.
Great Abaco Hwy; per 30min $5; h8am-7pm Mon-Sat,
4-7pm Sun) MEDICAL SERVICES
Out Island Inter.net (Map pp150-1; %242-367- Family Medical Centre (Map pp150-1; %242-367-
3006; accounts@abacoinet.com; Queen Elizabeth Dr; per 2295, after hr 242-359-6569; Don McKay Blvd; h9am-
20min $5; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) It stays open later 5pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat)
on some Friday evenings and from 9am to 2pm some Greater Abaco Dental Clinic (Map pp150-1; %242-

miles southeast of Marsh Harbour; others
arrive on their own boats, or on the weekly
mail boat from Nassau.
Getting Around
You’ll need your own transport if you
want to explore the main island outside of
Marsh Harbour, where a car-, bicycle- and
motorbike-rental agency is fortunately based
(see p155). An excellent ferry service links the
mainland and the major cays, while boats can
also be easily hired to explore further afield.
Golf carts are used on all inhabited cays.
MARSH HARBOUR
pop 5314
This quiet town has worked hard to estab-
lish itself as a small tourism and boating
heart of town.
SC Bootle Hwy leads northwest to Treas-
ure Cay.
Queen Elizabeth Dr runs through Marsh
Harbour’s tourist area, heading west to
Dundas Town and east towards Bay St. Bay
St leads past the Abaco Beach Resort and
ends at Albury’s Ferry Dock.
Information
BOOKSTORES
Solomon’s Supercenter (Map pp150-1; %242-367-
2602; off Queens Elizabeth Dr; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat, to
2pm Sun) Sells a few novels.
EMERGENCY
Emergency (%919, 911)
Police (Map p149; %242-367-3500; Dundas Town Rd)
ABACOS
Saturdays. 367-4070; Don McKay Blvd)
Love’s Pharmacy (Map pp150-1; %242-367-3292; fax
INTERNET RESOURCES 242-367-3292; Don McKay Blvd; h8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri)
www.abacolife.com The online version of local
magazine Abaco Life. MONEY
www.go-abacos.com The official Abaco website with All the listed banks have ATMs.
good practical information. Commonwealth Bank (Map pp150-1; %242-367-
www.oii.net Contains boat-rental, accommodations and 2370; fax 242-367-2372; Queen Elizabeth Dr; h8:30am-
restaurant information. 3pm Mon-Thu, to 4:30pm Fri)
First Caribbean International Bank (Map pp150-1;
MEDIA %242-367-2166; fax 242-367-2156; Don McKay Blvd;
Abaconian (www.abaconian.com) The island’s monthly h9:30am-3pm Mon-Thu, to 4:30pm Fri)
newspaper. Royal Bank of Canada (Map pp150-1; %242-367-
Abaco Journal (http://oii.net/journal) A monthly news 2420; Don McKay Blvd; h9:30am-3pm Mon-Thu, to
journal. 4:30pm Fri)
Abaco Life (www.abacolife.com; $2) A quarterly island Scotiabank (Map pp150-1; %242-367-2142; fax 242-
magazine carrying information of interest to residents and 367-2565; Don McKay Blvd; h9:30am-3pm Mon-Thu,
travelers. to 4:30pm Fri)
 150 A B A C O S • • M a r s h H a r b o u r www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • M a r s h H a r b o u r 151

DOWNTOWN MARSH HARBOUR 0

0
400 m
0.2 miles
Dive operators also offer snorkel trips
($50).
Fanny Bay A B C D E F Abaco Dive Adventures (Map pp150-1; %242-367-
INFORMATION 24 2963; www.abacodiveadventures.com; Abaco Beach Resort,
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
Information Office..........................1 C3 Shore
s Rd Bay St) has two-tank dives ($110), twilight
lican
1 BaTelCo..............................................2 B3 Pe 1 and night dives ($126), and Sandy Point
Commonwealth Bank.........................3 B3
Family Medical Centre........................4 B4
14 wall and reef dives with lunch ($189). Cave
13
First Caribbean Bank...........................5 B4 To
Eastern dives ($210) include Nitrox for decompres-
Greater Abaco Dental Clinic...............6 A4
Love’s Pharmacy..............................(see 4)
Shores (0.6mi)
sion.
Out Island Inter.net........................... 7 B3
Post Office.........................................8 B4
Dive Abaco (Map pp150-1; %242-367-2787; www
Royal Bank of Canada........................9 B4 St .diveabaco.com; Conch Inn Hotel & Marina, Bay St) offers
Marsh Harbour 22 Bay
Scotiabank........................................10 B4 two-tank dives ($90) and two-tank shark
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES 23
29
dives ($115) with tank refills ($50).
Abaco Dive Adventures....................11 E2 37
Abaco Island Tours.........................(see 26)
2 Abaco Outback................................12 C3
33 2 SPORTFISHING
Blue Wave Boat Rentals.................(see 36) 34 St
Dive Abaco....................................(see 34) 20
17 Bay 18
11 The average price for bonefishing com-
15
Rich’s Rentals...................................13 D1
32 31 16
mences at around $250/400 per half-/full-
Seahorse Boat Rentals....................(see 17)
Seaview Castle..................................14 F1
36
25 day excursion.
26 19 JR’s Bonefish (%242-366-3058; www.jrsbonefish
12 28 abaco.com; Casuarina Point) takes in three major
Sea of Abaco
Memorial
Plaza
fishing locations on its trips, and recom-
Mailboat Dock St
30 mends bringing rare Crazy Charlies or Small
Bay 1
Hermit Crab flies with you to the Bahamas.
3 Customs
3 Dr
3 Justin Sands Bonefishing (%242-367-3526; www
Don M

beth DRINKING
Ste

Que
en Eliza
Wally’s.............................................28 C3 .bahamasvg.com/justfish.html; Marsh Harbour) is run by
ven

7
2 SLEEPING
Cpt Justin Sands, a past Abaco Bonefish
cKay Bl

Stratton

Bon

21 Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour..15 E2 SHOPPING

Champion, which means he knows where
net

Abaco Real Estate Agency................ 16 D2 Conch Pearl Galleries....................... 29 D2

35
t R
vd

Conch Inn Hotel & Marina............... 17 D2 Don Wood Jr....................................30 C3

to find the slippery critters you desire.
Dr

27 Island Breezes Motel........................ 18 D2 Iggy Biggy........................................31 C2

5 Lofty Fig Villas..................................19 C2 John Bull..........................................32 C2 Errol H Thurston Jnr (%242-375-9910; loverboy
Sand Dollar-Abaco Gold.................(see 29)
6 EATING Solomon’s Mines..............................33 D2 lilt@hotmail), or ‘Loverboy,’ will take you deep-
8 Angler's Restaurant & Bar..............(see 15) water, shallow-water and shark fishing (and
Bistro Mezzomare.............................20 C2 TRANSPORT
10 Early Bird Restaurant........................21 A3 Albury’s Ferry Service (to Great hold off on the romancing).
4 Jamie's Place.....................................22 E2 Guana Cay)................................. 34 C2 4
Java................................................. 23 D2 Gas Station.......................................35 B3
Jib Room Restaurant & Bar...............24 C1 Harbour View Marina.......................36 C2 BOAT & KAYAKING EXCURSIONS
Mangoes..........................................25 C2
Sapodilly’s Harbourside Bar & Grill...26 C2
Mangoes Marina............................(see 25)
Moorings.......................................(see 34)
Dive Abaco (Map pp150-1; % 242-367-2787; www
To Airport (2mi); 9
4
Solomon's Supercenter.....................27 B4 Rental Wheels..................................37 D2 .diveabaco.com; Conch Inn Hotel & Marina, Bay St; cruise
Treasure Cay (11mi)
$25) welcomes you to gaze at Abaco’s spec-
ABACOS

ABACOS
tacular sunsets on a cruise; rum and fruit
POST Sights DIVING & SNORKELING punches intensify the sensual pleasure.
Post office (Map pp150-1; %242-367-2571; Don Marsh Harbour is a little lacking in terms There are some tremendous and easy snor- Minimum numbers apply.
McKay Blvd) of sights. On a hill east of town, the ca- keling sites to enjoy in the Abacos. Sandy Abaco Outback (Map pp150-1; %242-367-5358; VHF
nary yellow Seaview Castle (Map pp150–1) Cay Reef in Pelican Cays Land & Sea Park Channel 16; www.abacooutback.com; Bay St; trips from $95)
TELEPHONE overlooks Marsh Harbour. It was once the is renowned for its population of spotted proffers relaxing half- and full-day kayak
Public telephone booths are located in sev- home of Evans Cottman, author of Out eagle rays and huge stingrays, Fowl Cay Reef trips to serene spots where you can snorkel
eral places downtown. There’s also a booth Island Doctor. A good mile from the town, in Fowl Cay National Reserve for friendly off deserted beaches looking for sea turtles,
just outside the office of BaTelCo (Map pp150-1; it is not open to the public. groupers, and Pelican Park in Pelican Cays explore tangled mangroves, spot wild or-
%242-367-2200). Land & Sea Park for eagle rays and sea chids and learn about native plants.
Activities turtles.
TOURIST INFORMATION Although there are few boat tours on offer A huge variety of dive sites take in wrecks, BOAT RENTALS
Ministry of Tourism (www.go-abacos.com) Very useful from Marsh Harbour, local ferries are excel- walls, caverns and coral kingdoms, includ- Sailboats and motorboats can be rented
website for details on entertainment, special events and lent, making it easy to visit different cays ing Bonita Wreck, a WWII wreck populated at most marinas. Demand often exceeds
accommodations. and their idiosyncratic dive and snorkel by groupers that like to be hand-fed; Cath- supply, so make reservations early! These
Abaco Tourist Office (Map pp150-1; %242-367-3067; sites. edral, a swim-through cavern with rays and operators can be reached on VHF Chan-
fax 242-367-3068; Memorial Plaza, Queen Elizabeth Dr; There are also a large number of rental parrotfish; and Tarpon Cave, a 50ft drop-off nel 16. Rates do not include fuel and gas
h9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri) boats available. with smiling moray eels. for cooking, but boats are provided with
 152 A B A C O S • • M a r s h H a r b o u r www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • M a r s h H a r b o u r 153

Sleeping Eating & Drinking

THE BAHAMAS BILLFISH CHAMPIONSHIP There are some great rental units and cot- There’s a good selection of cafés and bars
This renowned annual sportfishing competition tours the Family Islands and attracts hundreds of tages on the island cays, where many visitors across the Abacos, while Marsh Harbour res-
international and national teams. head after a quick stop in Marsh Harbour. taurants also host regular musical bashes.
The championship started in 1968 as an informal contest, set up by regular competitors in As well as the accommodations listed in this
individual Bimini, Cat Cay, Chub Cay and Walker’s Cay challenges. Since 1973 the Bahamas Billfish guide, try contacting Abaco Real Estate Agency BUDGET
Championship has run consecutive yearly competitions including as many as six tournaments (Map pp150-1; % 242-367-2719; www.abacobaha Daily Bread (Map p149; Dundas Town Rd; mains $5-8;
covering Bimini, the Berry Islands, the Abacos, Cat Cay, Paradise Island and North Eleuthera. mas.com; Bay St) or visit www.abacovacations hdinner Mon-Sat) Next to the Kingdom Wash
Running for over 30 years, the Bahamas Billfish Championship runs through April to the end .com. launderette in Dundas Town, this place is
of June. Anglers can fish any or all, the tournaments with cumulative points determining the Island Breezes Motel (Map pp150-1; %242-367- named in honor of Christian gods, who have
overall Bahamas Billfish Champions. 3776; fax 242-367-4179; E Bay St; r $90; pna) certainly blessed these cooks. Here you will
In 2005 the Abacos leg of the tournament included several top sportfishing spots off south This small roadside property with eight find the best ribs in town (try the Kingdom
Abaco, Spanish Cay, central Abaco, Treasure Cay and Boat Harbour on the mainland. modestly furnished rooms is a five-minute Ribs and fried rice combo) and the honey-
Registration costs $1000, and entry to each tournament is $1500. Contact the organizers walk to the town’s small tourist center. The garlic wings are also lip-smackingly good.
(%954-920-5577; www.bahamasbillfish.com; 2 Oakwood Blvd, Suite 195, Hollywood, fl 33020, USA) in the US location makes it a good budget option and Early Bird Restaurant (Map pp150-1; %242-367-
for more information. rates include taxes. 5310; Unit 6, Queen Elizabeth Dr; mains $3-8; hbreakfast,
D’s Guesthouse (Map p149; %242-367-3980, 242- lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) It opens early for workers
554-8212; Forest Dr; r incl taxes $75; na) On the heading to the ferries and businesspeople
communication and safety equipment. Local Festivals & Events west edge of town, the four one-bedroom heading off to the airport. Tuna, corned
weather reports can be heard on FM radio Check out the www.go-abacos.com web- units here have simple and plain furnishings beef or sardines with grits is the dish of
93.5 and VHF marine channel 68. site or Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (Map pp150- with TV, refrigerator, microwave oven and choice.
Blue Wave Boat Rentals (Map pp150-1; %242- 1; %242-367-3067; www.bahamas.com; Memorial Plaza, coffeepot. The place is well maintained, but Java (Map pp150-1; %242-367-5523; Bay St; mains
367-3910; www.bluewaverentals.com; Harbour View Queen Elizabeth Dr; h9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri) for up- take care after dark in this neighborhood. $4-6; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) A nice lit-
Marina) charges $150/375/700 per day/three to-date information on these and many Lofty Fig Villas (Map pp150-1; %242-367-2681; tle café serving scrumptious sugar-crusted
days/week for a 21ft Dusky, a favored fam- other events. loftyfig@mymailstation.com; Bay St; r $110; pna donuts, cinnamon buns and great coffee. As
ily craft. They also have 26ft Paramounts for s) These six canary yellow units sit very you sip away, enjoy the decorative, bright
$200/525/950 per day/three days/week. FEBRUARY conveniently in the middle of town and are a and colorful paintings, artworks and quilts,
Seahorse Boat Rentals (Map pp150-1; %242-367- Abaco Art Festival Showcases a range of Bahamian two-minute walk from the Conch Inn Hotel and the relaxed atmosphere.
2513; www.seahorseboatrentals.com; Abaco Beach Resort, artists and their colorful subjects. & Marina and adjacent to a number of eater-
Bay St) will rent a 15ft Boston Whaler for Great Abaco Triathlon Tests the mettle of teeth- ies and bars. Surrounding a small pool, the MIDRANGE
$130/560 per day/week or a 20-footer for gritting competitors in Marsh Harbour. cottages need a little TLC, but are light and Jamie’s Place (Map pp150-1; %242-367-2880; Bay St;
$190/910 per day/week. It also has a 26- pleasantly decorated in tropical colors, and mains $7-18; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) This spot-
footer for hire at $275/1295 per day/week. APRIL come with kitchenettes and fridges. less, light and cheerful family joint serves
Rich’s Rentals (Map pp150-1; %242-367-2742; Bahamas Billfish South Abaco Championship Conch Inn Hotel & Marina (Map pp150-1; %242- takeaways and luscious homemade ice
fax 242-367-2682; off Pelican Shore’s Rd, Marsh Harbour) (www.bahamasbillfish.com) Five days of chasing fish and 367-4000; www.go-abacos.com/conchinn; Bay St; r $130; creams. A mix of American and Bahamian
charges $100/270/595 per day/three days/ a record or two. nas) Also right in the center of the dishes includes ‘scram’ eggs and pancakes,
week for a 21-footer and $150/380/850 per Bahamas White Marlin Open Abaco (%242-367- town’s restaurant and bar area, this busy fish dishes, a refreshing tropical salad of
ABACOS

day/three days/week for a 26ft boat.
Tours
Abaco Outback (Map pp150-1; %242-367-5358; VHF
Channel 16; www.abacooutback.com; Bay St) has off-
road cycling through pine forests ($70);
hikes to the southernmost point of Great
Abaco and a blue hole ($95) or nature
walks in search of the native Bahama par-
rot ($60).
Abaco Island Tours (Map pp150-1; %242-367-
2936; www.abacoislandtours.com; Sapodilly’s Harbour-
side Bar & Grill, Bay St) has day tours to Marsh
Harbour ($19) and various cays including
Elbow and Man O’ War Cay ($38) with a
stop at the Albury Brothers boat-building
facility. Diving, kayaking and snorkeling
activities can also be organized.
2158) Another fishy record-chaser.
Abaco Anglers Fishing Tournament Yup, another one
for fishing-fans!
JUNE
Goombay Summer Festival Party, party, party at Marsh
Harbour’s Junkanoo Rush, which runs through July as well.
Little Abaco Homecoming Welcomes locals back with
celebrations.
Bahamas Billfish South Abaco Championship
Stage 4 (www.bahamasbillfish.com) Six days of chasing
Stage 4’s record at Treasure Cay.
JULY
Abaco Regatta (www.rtia.net) Held over a week,
this great regatta commences with the ‘cheeseburger in
paradise’ pre-race party; festivities really jump off after
the final chew.
but informal marina complex is popular
with yachties and local expats. Newly reno-
vated, the smallish but comfortable rooms
come with cable TV and a small patio.
There is a good restaurant on site, along
with a lively and convivial bar, and small
freshwater pool.
Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour (Map
pp150-1; %242-367-2158; www.abacoresort.com; Bay
St; r $205;pnas) This large resort has a
Hawaiian feel, with tall palms and a small
beach, while fishing tournaments keep the
place busy. Rooms are smallish, but fur-
nished with rich tropical colors and solid
wood furniture; dehumidifiers and balc-
onies help on sultry nights. There is also a
kiddies’ pool, tennis courts and dive shop,
plus the Angler’s Inn (p154).
ABACOS
lettuce, pineapple, grapes and crushed wal-
nuts, and great veggie omelettes.
Sapodilly’s Harbourside Bar & Grill (Map pp150-1;
%242-367-3498; Bay St; mains $12-25; hlunch & din-
ner) The tree-shaded deck welcomes drink-
ers and diners throughout the day. Great
burgers and crunchy fish appetizers satisfy,
as do the pastas and fish dinners. A pool
table and two-for-one cocktails during
happy hour bring in the customers, as does
the live calypso on Friday and Saturday
nights.
Bistro Mezzomare (Map pp150-1; %242-367-4444;
Conch Inn Hotel & Marina, Bay St; mains $8-25; hbreak-
fast, lunch & dinner) For lunch, grab a tasty Angus
beef burger topped with bacon, onions and
cheese. The chef’s dinner specials include
grilled chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and
 154 A B A C O S • • M a r s h H a r b o u r www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • L o y a l i s t C a y s 155

basil, plates of fettucine with marinara sauce,
and seafood sautéed in a garlic, white wine
and light tomato sauce. Yum.
Jib Room Restaurant & Bar (Map pp150-1; %242-
367-2700; Marsh Harbour Marina, Pelican Shore’s Rd; mains
$10-20; hlunch daily, dinner Wed & Sat) This very cas-
ual waterside place has BBQ nights with live
music and dancing. There are rib BBQs on
Wednesday and steak BBQs on Saturday.
Wally’s (Map pp150-1; % 242-367-2074; Bay St;
mains $11-25; hlunch Mon-Sat, dinner Fri & Sat) Head
here for live music on weekends and Wal-
ly’s Special, the lethal house cocktail.
TOP END
Angler’s Inn (Map pp150-1; % 242-367-2158, US
%800-468-4799; Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour, Bay
St; mains $20-35; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner Mon-Sat)
This elegant waterside restaurant serves fine
food. Try the superb island seafood cake,
grilled shrimp garnished with avocado chut-
ney and red curry sauce, or delicate coconut
mango shrimp. The resort bar hosts music
many nights in the holiday season.
Mangoes (Map pp150-1; %242-367-2366; Bay St;
mains $18-25; h lunch & dinner) International
dishes with a Bahamian twist are served on
a shaded deck overlooking the marina. Fish
and mango combinations are delicious, and
desserts are simply wicked – a favorite among
Bahamians and anyone with taste buds. Hur-
ricane Libby is the house cocktail. There is
live music a couple of nights a week.
Solomon’s Supercenter (Map pp150-1; %242-
367-2602; off Queens Elizabeth Dr; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat,
to 2pm Sun) This is an excellent supermarket
and general store, certainly the best on the
ABACOS
Marina, this Bahamian chain sells resort
clothing, T-shirts, gifts, jewelry and island
music.
For duty-free watches, jewelry, china
and crystal, try Solomon’s Mines (Map pp150-1;
%242-367-3191) and for handcrafted jewelry
try Sand Dollar-Abaco Gold (Map pp150-1; %242-
367-4405), both outside the entrance to the
Abaco Beach Resort, or John Bull (Map pp150-1;
%242-367-2473; Bay St).
Getting There & Away
AIR
For information on international flights to
the Abacos and the Bahamas see p288.
Marsh Harbour International Airport (MHH; Map
p149; %242-367-3039) is located 3 miles north-
east of Marsh Harbour.
The following airlines fly between the
Abacos and other Bahamian islands.
Abaco Air (%242-367-2267; www.abacoaviationcentre
.com/abacoair; hub Marsh Harbour) Flies between the
Abacos, Nassau and North Eleuthera.
Bahamasair (airline code UP;%242-367-2039; www
.bahamasair.com; hubs Nassau & Freeport) The main
airline flying within the Bahamas.
Cat Island Air (%242-377-3318; fax 242-377-3723;
hub Nassau) Flies between the Abaco cays and Marsh
Harbour.
Cherokee Air (%242-367-3450; www.cherokeeair
.com; hub Marsh Harbour) Flies between the Abacos and
North Eleuthera.
Major’s Air Services (%242-352-5778; www.the
bahamasguide.com/majorair; hub Grand Bahama) Flies
between Freeport, Marsh Harbour, Bimini, Andros and
Eleuthera.
Southern Air Charters (%242-367-2498; Nassau;
BOAT
Mail Boat
Contact the Dockmaster’s Office (%242-393-
1064) at Potter’s Cay in Nassau to confirm
schedules, and for further contact and fare
details. Captain Gurth Dean sails weekly
from Nassau to Marsh Harbour ($45 one-
way, 12 hours).
Ferry
Pinder’s Ferry sets off twice daily from
McLean’s Town, Grand Bahama, for Crown
Haven, Abaco (adult/child $80/40 round-
trip, one hour).
Albury’s Ferry Service (%242-367-0290; www.oii
.net/alburysferry; adult/child $20/10 round-trip) Operates
scheduled daily water taxis to Elbow (Hope Town; adult/
child one-way $15/7.50), Man O’ War (adult/child one
way $12/6) and Great Guana Cays (adult/child one-way
$15/7.50). The dock for Elbow and Man O’ War services is
at the east end of Bay St (Map p149); the dock for Great
Guana Cay (Map pp150–1) services is at the Conch Inn
Hotel & Marina. Private charters are also available.
Bahamas Ferries (%242-323-2166; www.bahamasfer
ries.com; Nassau; $90 round-trip) These good-value fast fer-
ries make the trip from Nassau to Sandy Point twice weekly.
MARINAS
All the following marinas can supply elec-
tricity and water.
Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour (p153) Offers
daily ($1.75 per foot) and long-term ($1 per foot for 61 days
and over) dockage. The resort’s full marina, accommoda-
tions and dining facilities are available with their 200 slips.
Harbour View Marina (Map pp150-1; %242-367-
3910; troy@bluewaverentals.com; Marsh Harbour) Had
68 slips and is also fairly central to the tourist area. Due
Sea Star Rentals (Map p149; %242-367-4887;
Marsh Harbour International Airport; h 8:30am-5pm
Mon-Sat) has handy premises at the airport,
and rents cars from $65 per day.
Quality Star Rentals (Map p149; %242-367-2979;
fax 242-367-2977; Don McKay Blvd; h7am-7pm Mon-Thu,
to 8pm Fri & Sat) rents cars from $65/325 per
day/week and vans from $75/375.
Taxi fares are pre-established. A ride be-
tween Marsh Harbour’s airport and most
hotels costs $10 for two people. Taxis run
up and down Marsh Harbour and are easy
to flag down.
LOYALIST CAYS
East of Marsh Harbour lie three Loyalist
Cays: Elbow, Man O’ War and Great Guana.
The fourth Loyalist Cay, Green Turtle, lies
miles to their northwest (see p167).
Elbow Cay
pop 310
Picturesque Hope Town will welcome your
arrival on Elbow Cay with its 120ft-high
red-and-white-ringed lighthouse, set on the
eastern slope of a splendid harbor. As you
approach the docks, an entrancing toy-town
collection of immaculate white and pastel-
colored cottages will come into view. Tiny
gardens full of bougainvillea and flowering
shrubs spill their blossoms over picket fences
and walls, and pedestrians stroll along the
two narrow lanes that encircle the village.
Lying 6 miles east of Marsh Harbour, this
5-mile-long island mostly relies on low-key
tourism for its income. Hope Town’s coun-
cil is responsible for the conservative but

Abacos. Even vegetarians crying out for www.southernaircharter.com; hub Nassau) Flies between
protein will find a few soya dishes. Nassau, the Exumas and Marsh Harbour.
Shopping Quoted fares are one-way.
Conch Pearl Galleries (Map pp150-1; %242-367-0137;
Royal Harbour Village, Bay St) Enjoy Bahamian and Route Price
resident artists’ works depicting nature,
fauna and seascapes in acrylics and oils. Marsh Harbour–Freeport $85
Don Wood Jr (Map pp150-1; %242-367-3681; adja- Marsh Harbour–Moore Island $42
cent to Memorial Plaza) Self-proclaimed ‘Carver, (Abacos)
Sailor, Rum Barrel Bailer,’ Don sculpts wood, Marsh Harbour–Nassau $81
gold and other metals into furniture, ear- Marsh Harbour–North Eleuthera $90
rings and desktop ornaments such as turtles Marsh Harbour–Treasure Cay $35
and swordfish. He often works outside his (in the Abacos)
shack, with his four-legged pal alongside, and Treasure Cay (in the Abacos)– $81
enjoys a chat. Nassau
Iggy Biggy (Map pp150-1; %242-367-3596; Bay Treasure Cay (in the Abacos)– $85
St) Across from the Conch Inn Hotel & Freeport
to hurricane damage this marina was being completely
rebuilt at the time of research.
Mangoes Marina (Map pp150-1; %242-376-4255;
Marsh Harbour) Adjacent to the Moorings, this marina has
30 slips, and restaurant and bar facilities.
Frequency Moorings (Map pp150-1; %242-367-4000; www.the
moorings.com; Conch Inn Hotel & Marina, Marsh Harbour)
1 daily Is central to the tourist area and has 80 slips. Accommoda-
3 weekly tions, laundry, cable TV connections and provisions are
also available.
several daily
2 weekly Getting Around
2 daily Rental Wheels (Map pp150-1; %242-367-4643; VHP
Channel 16; www.rentalwheels.com; Bay St; h8am-5pm
several daily Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat & Sun) are located in the tour-
ist center. It’s the only outfit open on Sundays.
1 daily Bicycles are $10/45 per day/week, motorbikes
are $45/200 and cars are $65/300.
ABACOS
charming community by maintaining strict
building and business codes, and banning
cars in the village. The hamlet was founded
in 1785 by Loyalists from South Carolina
whose blond, blue-eyed descendants still
live here, interacting, but not intermarry-
ing, with African-Abaconians.
A blight in 1938 ruined the island’s sponge
bed industry, but some locals still make a
living from boatbuilding and fishing.
In July Hope Town hosts Regatta Week,
a lively mix of sailing races and land-based
festivities.
INFORMATION
There’s a meager visitors’ information board
in the peppermint green building facing the
Government Dock on Bay St.
 156 A B A C O S • • E l b o w C a y www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • L o y a l i s t C a y s 157

ELBOW CAY
A B
INFORMATION
First Caribbean International Bank......1 C4
Hope Town Clinic..............................2 D5
1 Post Office.......................................(see 6)
Public Toilets......................................3 D6
Telephone..........................................4 C5
Telephone......................................... 5 D6
Visitors' Information Board................ 6 D6
Cook’s Cove
Anna Cay
2 Parrot
Cays
Elbow Cay
Lighthouse
13
Back
Creek
26º32'N
0
0
0.5 miles
Hope Town C D
Point
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Byrle Patterson Memorial Garden.......7
Cetacean Museum............................. 8
Cholera Cemetery.............................. 9
Froggie's Out Island Adventures...... 10
Wyannie Malone Museum............... 11
SLEEPING
Abaco Inn........................................12
Club Soleil Resort..............................13
Daisy's Place....................................14
Elbow Cay Properties.......................15
Harrison House................................16
Hope Town Harbour Lodge............. 17
Eagle
Rock Hope Town Hideaways....................18
Island View Properties......................19
Lantana Cabana...............................20
See Enlargement
Sea Spray Resort & Marina...............21
Sunrise Beach...................................22
34
Tanny Key’s Vacation Rentals.......... 23
Hope Tellin Vacation Homes..................... 24
Town Turtle Hill Resort...............................25
EATING
Boat House Restaurant...................(see 35)
Cap’n Jack’s.....................................26 C5
Nigh School
Club Soleil Restaurant....................(see 13)
Harbour View Grocery.....................27 C5
Hwy
1 km
Public telephone booths can be found in ACTIVITIES
central areas, including near the Govern- Diving & Snorkeling
ment Dock, and public toilets are located The reefs off the Atlantic side of the cay
opposite the Government Dock. are excellent for diving and snorkeling. The
D6
D6 First Caribbean International Bank (%242-366- waters near Hope Town and the northern
D5 0295; Fig Tree Lane; h10am-2pm Tue) tip of the cay are calmer and are easily
D6
D5 Hope Town Clinic (%242-366-0108; Queen’s Hwy) reached by swimming from shore. Staghorn,
Police (%919, 911; %242-367-3500; VHF Channel 16; elkhorn, star and brain coral are abundant.
B4 Dundas Town Rd, Marsh Harbour) Froggies Out Island Adventures (%242-366-0431;
B2
C4
Post office (%242-366-0098; Queen’s Hwy) Above www.froggiesabaco.com), down the narrow cove
C4 tourist information opposite the dock. south of the harbor, offers one-/two-tank
C5
D6
dives for $100/110. It also provides snor-
D5 SIGHTS keling excursions ($40/50 per half-/full-day;
C4
C5 Hope Town is dominated by the historic, children are $15 less).
B5 candy-striped Elbow Cay Lighthouse (h8am-4pm Sea Spray Resort & Marina (p159) runs
B3
C5 Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat). It was built in 1863 despite snorkel trips and rents snorkel gear for $10
D6 active opposition from local wreckers fearful per day.
B3
of the lighthouse’s effects on their profiteer-
ing. One hundred steps lead to the kerosene Bonefishing & Sportfishing
mantle and magnifier that still provide il- Elbow Cay’s weeklong, family-oriented Abaco
lumination today, and offer fabulous views. Anglers Tournament (%242-366-0004) in mid-
Ask the ferry operator to drop you at the April requires little gear and welcomes all

Creek Harbour’s Edge................................28 D5

Munchies.........................................29 C5
lighthouse, and catch the next mainland ferry participants, children included. If you enter
's

Rudy's Place...................................(see 17)

en

3 by waving to the captain from the dock. the bonefishing category, beware – Maitland
ue

Upper Terrace Restaurant...............(see 17)

Q

Sea of 25 22
Vernon’s Grocery.............................30 C5
The splendid little Wyannie Malone Museum Lowe has won every year since 1972!
Abaco
Elbow Cay SHOPPING (Bay St; h10am-12:30pm Mon-Sat) has an eclectic Bonefishing guides will charge from $350/
Ebb Tide.......................................... 31 D6
Iggy Biggy........................................32 C5 collection that includes genealogical infor- 600 per half-/full-day.
Rd

mation pertaining to loyalist settlers and A Salt Weapon (%242-366-0245; www.asaltweapon

ine
eL

TRANSPORT
Lucayan Indians. charters.com) offers a 31ft Bertram rigged and
ntr

Ferry Dock....................................... 33 D6
Ce

Nude
Lighthouse Marina...........................34 C2 The tiny Byrle Patterson Memorial Garden ready to go on deep-sea fishing charters
Mail-Boat Dock..............................(see 33)
36 Beach
Sea Spray Marina.............................35 A5 has two bronze sculptures of dolphins and ($380/580 per half-/full day).
T & N Cart Hire................................36 B4 a seagull shaded by pine trees. Sea Spray Resort & Marina (p159) offers
4 White
Cholera Cemetery (Cemetery Rd) graves recall reef, deep and bonefishing.
Sound
14
Basketball Court 0
0 100 m
0.1 miles
the cholera epidemic that swept through Lighthouse Marina (p160) sells bait and
Hope Town in 1850, claiming one-third rents out fishing rods.
La

12
1 (Taylor Park)
ell
W

Garbanzo e e Cemetery
of the population. Note the weathered Be-
Ba

Tr 19
yS

Beach ig Assembly of
15 F La ATLANTIC
t

God Church trothal Bench at the crest of the hill. Cem- Boat Excursions
ABACOS

ABACOS
30 4 ry Rd Betrothal O C E A N
Aunt Pat’s
35 21 29
Cem
e te
Bench etery Rd is off Back St. Froggies Out Island Adventures (%242-366-0431;
Rdll’s

16 9
23
The tiny Cetacean Museum (admission free), in www.froggiesabaco.com) Offers full-day excur-
sse

Bay Lover’s La Hope Town Beach

Ru

20
32 (North Beach)
27 the old peppermint green building facing sions to Great Guana Cay with snorkeling at
Ln

g's ’s
ll’s

26 r
in e
the Government Dock on Bay St, has a few Fowl Cay. It also has trips to Little Harbour
sse

eet La wy ay
Ru

a
S W
Sw
5 Hope
whale bones, charts, a fine mural and a map with snorkeling at Sandy Cay ($70), and
Town
18
St James showing sightings of whales in Bahamian snorkeling and diving trips (see above).
Tahiti ATLANTIC
Beach 11
Methodist
Church waters. Eleven species have been sighted in Abaco Multihull Charters (%242-366-0552; abaco
26º30'N
Tilloo Cut OCEAN Hope Town
Harbour
28 urc
Ch St
h
recent years in and around Elbow Cay. multihull@oii.net) runs two-hour sunset cruises
5
2
South of Hope Town, Queen’s Hwy con- ($75) and sailing lessons ($25 per hour).
31
6 tinues south along a narrow peninsula be- They also rent 30ft catamarans ($225/350
3
Tilloo Cay
Government
Dock
33 8
Saun
24
tween the ocean and White Sound, a shallow, per half-/full-day with captain) and 25ft
10 de
Ln r’s mangrove-lined bay with the Sea Spray Re- boats ($225/125 with/without captain).
Ste
7
pL
a sort & Marina at its southern end.
y
Hw

6 The road continues to Tahiti Beach, which Boat & Dinghy Rentals
's
en
’

ue t
Q k S
c
17 extends as a sandbar along the peninsula Abaco Bahamas Charters (%242-366-0151; www
B a Hope Town Beach
(South Beach)
and is backed by an extensive palm grove. .abacocharters.com) rents sailboats from $1925
Marine turtles still come ashore to nest on per week. Alternatively, it hires out a 37ft
76º58'W
the champagne-colored beach. catamaran for $3950 per week.
 158 A B A C O S • • L o y a l i s t C a y s
Abaco Dingy Rentals (%242-366-0309; 2surfers@
coralwave.com) rents dinghies from $20/100 per
hour/day, with a three-hour minimum.
Surfing
The offshore waters boast at least six good
surfing breaks on the south Atlantic shore,
especially in winter months. The Baha-
mas’ top surfing is at the reef off Garbanzo
Beach, 2 miles south of Hope Town. Bring
your own gear.
SLEEPING
Several agents rent out a number of proper-
ties both in Hope Town and elsewhere on the
cay. These rentals are great value for all sized
wallets, and range in size and location.
Try Elbow Cay Properties (%242-366-0569;
www.elbowcayrentals.com; Bay St), who list a variety
of cottages and villas from $600 to $7000
per week. Tanny Key’s Vacation Rentals (%242-
366-0053; www.tannykey.com; Back St, Hope Town) has
houses all over the island from about $900
to $2,000 per week for one or two people.
Hope Town Hideaways (%242-366-0024; www.hope
town.com; Porpoise Pl, Hope Town) and Island View
Properties (%242-366-0601; classicmarine77@hotmail
.com; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat; Fig Tree Lane, Hope Town)
are also worth a call. Some of the agents’
properties are listed in the next section.
Hope Town
Daisy’s Place (%242-366-0569; Well Lane; per week $800;
na) This cute, light one-bedroom water-
front cottage at the harbor’s edge has a nice-
sized porch with great views, and is a stroll
away from the town beach. Also great value
ABACOS
is Upsy Daisy, the 2nd-floor apartment, also
with fabulous views ($875 per week). Con-
tact Elbow Cay Properties (above).
Hope Harbour Town Lodge (%242-366-0095;
www.hopetownlodge.com; Queens Hwy; r $135; pn
as) Atop a bluff at the south end of
Hope Town, this lodge’s hammocks gen-
tly sway under coconut trees overlooking
Atlantic Ocean. There is a choice between
lovely oceanfront cottages with kitchenette
($225) that spill down the garden toward
the beach, or some bright and welcoming
rooms in the main building, many with
harbor views. Facilities include a splendid
restaurant and bar, a small freshwater pool
and sundeck, and water sports. Bicycle and
boat rentals – including powerboats – are
offered, plus snorkel gear.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Harrison House (%242-366-0569; www.elbowcay
rentals.com; Elbow Cay Properties; per week $1000; na)
This is a great-value and comfortable house
in the center of town, with a large deck and
porch swing, and a grassed garden where
kids can kick up their heels. The house has
a lovely wooden interior, three bedrooms,
and is a few minutes’ walk to everything.
Club Soleil Resort (%242-366-003; www.clubsoleil
.com; Western Waterfront; r $140; nas) These
seven hacienda-style units have a tranquil
location across the harbor. The rooms come
with balconies and all mod cons. There’s also
a great fish restaurant, freshwater pool, com-
plimentary boat service, and a bar where you
can sip the house special, the Tropical Shock
(you’re warned!). Access is only by boat.
Tellin Vacation Homes (%242-366-0053; fax 203-
227-6898; www.hopetownvillas.com; Bay St; cottages from
$1300 per week; na) Three gorgeous adjacent
cottages have benefited from the love and
paintwork of the artistically inclined own-
ers. Blue-and-white one-bedroom Sunrise
Tellin sits on the beach, with pink curtains
and a pretty garden where even the garbage
cans are painted with flowers! Bay St Tellin
($1800 per week) sits across the road, and
cute Tellin Guest Cottage is closest to the
sea, perfect for a lovey-dovey couple.
Sunrise Beach (%242-366-0024; per week $2200;
na) This three-bedroom cottage with ex-
quisite decor in West Indian style and roman-
tic net-draped four-poster beds is another
super place. The backyard is the beach, and
there’s also a barbecue, cable TV and stereo.
Contact Hope Town Hideaways (left).
Lantana Cabana (%242-366-0053; fax 242-366-
0051; cottage $1400; na) Another lovely historic
cottage with four bedrooms that overlooks
the harbor from the 2nd floor. Contact
Tanny Key’s Vacation Rentals (left).
South of Hope Town
Abaco Inn (%242-366-0133, US %1-800-468-8799;
www.abacoinn.net; Queen’s Hwy; r $126; pnas)
Two miles southwest of Hope Town, these
great-value and super ocean-side lodgings
sit shaded by palm trees, and crown a bluff
between two lovely beaches at the narrow-
est point of the island. A lively bar serves
pub grub.
Turtle Hill Resort (%242-366-0557; www.turtlehill
.com; Queen’s Hwy; r for 1-4 persons per day/week $340/1850;
pnas) Fresh and clean with mainly
white decor and tiled floors, these four lux-
www.lonelyplanet.com
ury villas come with kitchen, barbecue and
cable TV. Some have rooftop sea views, and
all are a short walk to a great beach.
Sea Spray Resort & Marina (%242-366-0065; www
.seasprayresort.com; White Sound; r $1500; pnas)
These two- and three-bedroom modern pro-
perties have great marina or beach views and
spacious rooms, but small kitchens. Facilities
include a barbecue, and the clubhouse has
a pool table and TV. Free Sunfish sailing
is offered, and surfboards, sailboards, bicy-
cles and snorkel gear are available for rent.
There’s a free shuttle to Hope Town; water
taxis take 20 minutes.
EATING & DRINKING
Hope Town
Munchies (% 242-366-0423; Back St; mains $4-10;
hbreakfast, lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) Good-value,
casual snack meals such as burgers, pasties
and deli sandwiches can be ordered here. A
small shaded patio provides some seating.
Cap’n Jack’s (%242-366-0247; Bay St; mains $6-15;
h breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) The best
breakfasts in town, with waffles and tasty
omelettes. This is a nice harborfront spot,
and a very popular local bar with live music
midweek and at weekends. Try the bar’s
Jack Hammer (copious rum, vodka and Tia
Maria), guaranteed to get you jiving.
Harbour’s Edge (%242-366-0087; fax 242-366-0292;
Queens Hwy; mains $8-25; hlunch & dinner Wed-Mon) The
deck here stretches out over the water with
excellent views of the lighthouse and harbor,
perfect for lingering sundowner drinks and
meals. The Over the Edge cocktail (Matusa-
lem rum, banana rum and fruit juices) was
the result of a three-week taste testing.
Club Soleil Restaurant (%242-366-003; Western
Harbourfront; mains $18-30; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner
Fri-Wed) This alfresco and indoor waterfront
restaurant serves everything from burgers
to fish and steak dishes with French influ-
ences. If you book in advance the owners
will dispatch a water taxi to pick you up
and drop you off.
Upper Terrace Restaurant (% 242-366-0095;
Hope Town Harbour Lodge, Queens’ Hwy; mains $28-35;
hdinner) For a great formal dinner, enjoy
juicy salads and dishes like blackened fish;
chicken marinated in coconut rum; shrimp-
and-coconut-battered lobster; and creamy
mango and guava cheesecake.
Rudy’s Place (%242-366-0062; Hope Town Harbour
Lodge; mains $23-35; hdinner Mon-Sat, closed Sep & Oct)
A B A C O S • • L o y a l i s t C a y s 159
Has Bahamian food swathed with French
style and sauces.
Harbour View Grocery (%242-366-0033; Bay St;
h9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun) and Vernon’s
Grocery (%242-366-0037; Bay St; h8am-6pm Mon-
Fri, to 7pm Sat) both sell fresh produce and
groceries.
South of Hope Town
Abaco Inn (opposite) has mains from $11
and is open breakfast, lunch and dinner. It
offers an eclectic menu including vegetarian
meals, but has a heavy slant toward Baha-
mian seafood. Reservations are required.
Boat House Restaurant (left) Eat alfresco,
and munch on great blackened-fish burgers
with sides of coleslaw, or rice and peas, Cae-
sar salad and entrees (from filet mignon to
seafood primavera). There’s a regular barbe-
cue with live DJ and weekly live music.
SHOPPING
Ebb Tide (%242-366-0088; Back St, Hope Town) Orig-
inal watercolors and prints painted by local
artists and some handmade gold jewelry
are sold here. Also on offer are some An-
drosia batiks and locally made spices and
preserves.
Iggy Biggy (%242-366-0354; Bay St, Hope Town;
h9:30am-5:30pm) This clothing store sells some
funky resort wear and handmade gifts.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
The mail boat Captain Gurth Dean sails to
Hope Town from Nassau weekly. See p155
for information.
Albury’s Ferry Service (%242-367-3147; www
ABACOS
.oii.net/alburysferry/; Marsh Harbour; adult/child $15/7.50)
operates water taxis from Marsh Harbour to
Elbow Cay at 7:15am, 9am, 10:30am, noon,
2pm, 3:30pm, 4pm and 5:45pm daily. Ad-
ditionally, it runs at 9pm and 10:45pm on
Friday and Saturday evenings. The boats de-
part Elbow Cay at 8am, 9:45am, 11:30am,
1:30pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm daily, and also
6:15pm, 9:45pm and 11:30pm on Friday
and Saturday evenings. The ferry will stop
at the lighthouse, and all docks and mar-
inas on Elbow Cay, including many hotels.
Albury’s can also provide charters to Green
Turtle Cay.
A water taxi runs from Man O’ War Cay
to Hope Town at 7:30am daily, returning at
4:30pm. The taxi pilot will drop you off and
pick you up at specific docks as requested.
 160 A B A C O S • • L o y a l i s t C a y s
Marinas
Lighthouse Marina (%242-366-0154; VHF Channel
16; Western Harbourfront) offer dockage ($1.75 to
$2.50 per foot) at one of their slips in the
harbor. It has a nice setting right in town-
ship and has an off-license and small shop.
Sea Spray Resort & Marina (p159) has a 24-
slip, full-service marina exclusively for the
use of guests at the Sea Spray Resort. It of-
fers daily transient dockage ($1.20 per foot)
and long-term dockage ($0.75 per foot on a
daily basis). Electricity and water is extra.
GETTING AROUND
You can walk or bicycle everywhere in
Hope Town. Cars and golf carts are banned
along Bay St but can be hired at the ferry
dock (Government Dock) to explore the
rest of the island.
Island Cart Rentals (%242-366-0448; VHP Channel
16; www.islandcartrentals.com; Hope Town; hMon-Sat)
have 20 carts at $45/270 per day/week.
T & N Cart Hire (%242-366-0199; fax 242-366-0393;
Centre Line Rd; hMon-Thu) also offers carts from
$45 per day and will deliver to your accom-
modation or to the ferry landing.
Lubber’s Quarters Cay
This 300-acre private island lies between
Marsh Harbour and Elbow Cay. It’s perfect
for secluded beaches and nature trails. There
are few lodgings, no roads, cars or stores.
The modern, spacious Villa Poincianna (Map
p147; US %815-399-4068; www.poincianna.com; cottage
for 2/4/6 persons $950/1100/1250; a) sits just 50ft
from the shore.
Miramar Cottage (Map p147; cottage $800) is a
ABACOS
simple two-bedroom lodging that requires
a boat for access. Contact Abaco Real Estate
Agency (p158).
The popular Yahoe’s Sand Bar & Grill (Map
p147; %242-366-3110; VHF Channel 16; mains $10-18)
has new-moon parties, and serves burgers,
pasta and seafood dishes.
Tilloo Cay
This 5-mile-long cay, spitting distance south
of Elbow Cay, is renowned for its bonefish-
ing flats. The 20-acres of pristine wilderness
is a vital nesting site for seabirds, including
the rare and beautiful tropicbird.
Pelican Cays Land & Sea Park
This 2,100-acre park protects the half-dozen
tiny Pelican Cays, south of Tilloo, and their
www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • L o y a l i s t C a y s 161
surrounding waters and fringing reef. The MAN O' WAR CAY 0
0 0.5 miles
1 km
park is centered around Sandy Cay Underwater 77º01'W 77º00'W
National Sea Park, which has great snorkeling. A B C D
The cays are nesting sites for bridled, sooty 3 0 200 m
26º37'N
and least terns. The park also boasts shallow Q
ue
0 0.1 miles
coral gardens and underwater caves that 1
en
’s
Hw Baseball
abound with marine life. 4 y Park
8 Tennis
7 2 Court
Man O’ War Cay Government Dock 9
Library
Man-O' War
Cay
pop 306 10 School
Q
This thin little island is imbued with a highly Cemetery
ue
1
en
's
conformist and proud ‘Conchy Joe’ Loyal- 13
Hw
North 5
y
ist culture (see p30). Almost as powerful is Harbour 11
the 200-year-old boat-building industry that Sea of Abaco Dickie’s
2 Cay
still thrives today. 12
Lying 3 miles northwest of Elbow Cay,
most of this cay’s income is derived from
the sea. Fishermen use homemade fiberglass
boats or 12-foot wooden crawfish boats to 6
collect their catch; dozens of these sailing The
Creek 26º36'N
dinghies date back half a century and are INFORMATION
First Caribbean International
still in perfect shape. Bank..................................1 C2
See Enlargement
Royal Bank of Canada............2 C1
The cay’s boatyards have a long-held rep-
Q
utation of employing black laborers, mostly 3
ue
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
en
Albury’s Sail Shop...................3 B1 North
's Hw
‘Bahaitians’ (Haitians born in the Baha- Joe Albury’s Studio.................4 C1
Dickie’s
Cay
Harbour
mas), who are also employed as domestic
y
Man O' War Marina Dive
Shop..................................5 C2
help but who are obliged to leave the island
by nightfall. This Bible-steeped, white-only SLEEPING
Schooner’s Landing Resort.....6 B2 South
island lifestyle also prohibits the sale of liq- Harbour
ATLANTIC
uor (bring your own) and prefers residents EATING
Albury’s Harbour Store...........7 C1
and visitors to dress conservatively. Hibiscus Cafe.........................8 C1
OCEAN
The wreck of the USS Adirondack, which Man O’ War Grocery.............9
Mary’s Corner Store.............10
C1
C1
Garden Cay
went down in 1862, lies offshore in 40ft of 4 Pavilion Restaurant..............11 C2
water and attracts many divers, who head TRANSPORT
over for the day, as do most visitors. Albury’s Ferry Dock.............12 C2 Sandy Cay
Man O' War Marina............13 C2
Water Taxi Dock...............(see 12)
INFORMATION
ABACOS
There are public phones, and two banks:
the First Caribbean International Bank (%242- jackets and duffle bags. Some fashion items Hibiscus Cafe (%242-365-6380; mains $8-14;hlunch
352-9365; h9:30am-1pm Fri) and the Royal Bank of using Androsia batiks are also sold. Mon-Sat, dinner Thu-Sat) Indoor dining is based
Canada (%242-365-6323; h10am-2pm Thu). Man O’ War Marina Dive Shop (%242-365-6013) around Bahamian cuisine and burgers.
rents equipment (except regulators) and Pavilion Restaurant (%242-365-6185; mains $5-
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES provides air fills but does not offer dives. 24; hlunch & dinner Mon-Sat, closed Aug 15-Sep 30)
A hand carved sign on the waterfront points You can rent snorkel gear for $10 per day. This waterfront eatery serves hot Bahamian
the way to Joe Albury’s Studio (%242-365-6082), It also offers kayak and bicycle rentals. dishes, with roasts, barbecues and steaks on
Man O’ War’s finest boatbuilder. Joe crafted weekends.
traditional Bahamian sailboats with a purist’s SLEEPING & EATING Albury’s Harbour Store is a fully stocked gro-
passion, just as his great-great-great-uncle Schooner’s Landing Resort (%242-365-6072; www ceries. You can also pick up groceries at Man
Billie Bo did 150 years ago. Beautiful model .schoonerslanding.com; r $280; as) Five two- O’ War Grocery and Mary’s Corner Store.
boats now dominate the studio, along with bedroom town houses with full kitchen
local artisans’ works. overlook the sea from their tranquil posi- GETTING THERE & AROUND
Albury’s Sail Shop (%242-365-6014), on the tion northeast of town. The houses come Albury’s Ferry Service (%242-367-3147; www.oii
waterfront, no longer makes sails but has with TV/VCR, private patio, dockage, plus .net/alburysferry/; Marsh Harbour; adult/child one-way
continued manufacturing all manner of laundry, bar and barbecue pit. Beaches lie a $12/6) operates scheduled daily water taxis
things from cast-off sail material, such as stone’s throw in either direction. from Marsh Harbour to Man O’ War Cay at
 162 A B A C O S • • L o y a l i s t C a y s
10:30am, 12:15pm, 2:30pm, 4pm and 5:30pm
daily (the 12:15 and 2:30pm ferries don’t
operate on Sunday). Return service departs
Man O’ War at 8am, 11:30am, 1:30pm and
3:15pm (there are no 11:30am or 3:15pm
services on Sunday). Charters are available
to outlying cays.
Water taxis also run from Man O’War
to Great Guana Cay at 7:30am and 3:30pm
Friday; and from Man O’ War to Elbow Cay
at 7:30am, returning at 4:30pm. They leave
from the same dock as the ferry to Marsh
Harbour.
Facilities for boaters include the 60-slip
Man O’ War Marina (%242-365-6008), complete
with kiddies’ playground, boat rentals and
water sports.
Ask at businesses in Man O’ War town
about renting a golf cart.
Great Guana Cay
pop 134
This 6-mile-long cay lying 8 miles north of
Marsh Harbour is the least developed of the
Loyalist Cays, with a tiny, unsophisticated
fishing village that concentrates on lobster-
ing for an income.
A weathered old sign on the cay wel-
comes visitors with ‘It’s Better in the Baha-
mas, but…It’s Gooder in Guana.’ It is hard
to argue with that statement when you see
the spectacular 5-mile-long beach with soft,
pure-white sand that runs the length of the
Atlantic shore.
Just southeast of Great Guana Cay is the
wondrous Fowl Cay Reef Reserve, a na-
tional underwater sea park which protects
ABACOS
a stunning coral reef and seabirds’ shore-
based nesting sites. There is also fabulous
snorkeling off the town beach in front of
Nipper’s Beach Bar & Grill.
Small pockets of strewn rubbish and the
occasional unfriendly local do detract some-
what from the charm of nature’s gifts here,
as do the clouds of vicious mosquitoes that
hover over the island’s center. Come prepared
with bug spray and you will love the quiet
and unspoilt nature of this little island.
July’s Regatta Week features sailing races
and festivities on Great Guana and other
towns and cays.
INFORMATION
A post office with varied opening hours sits
on the harborside. A part-time police office
www.lonelyplanet.com
shares the same tiny cement building. The
emergency (%911, 919) numbers for the cays
are the same. A public phone box also sits
on the waterfront.
ACTIVITIES
Great Guana has superb snorkeling inside
the reef along its windward shore and some
excellent diving and bonefishing. Troy Al-
bury is ‘the main man’ for many visitors’
needs. He runs the friendly dive shop, and
hires out a ton of gear for different activi-
ties, as well as looking after some decent
accommodation.
Dive Guana (% 242-365-5178; VHF Channel 16;
www.diveguana.com; Fishers Bay) offers two-tank
dives ($80) and snorkeling trips ($40) to
the fabulous Fowl Cay and the northern
end of island. Ask about visiting the divers’
favourite ‘pet’ fish, Gilly the 70lb black
grouper and Charlie the reef shark. Also
call here for bikes ($12 per hour), kayaks
($12 per hour), fishing rods ($7 per day)
and boat hire: a 23ft Robalo ($140 per day)
and a 21ft Angler ($130 per day).
Henry Sands (%242-365-5140) operates as a
bonefishing guide.
SLEEPING
Guana Seaside Village (%242-365-5106; www.guana
seaside.com; Crossing Bay; d $130; pnas )
Both hotel units and a variety of separate
wooden cottages sit right on beach. These
were being repaired at the time of research.
The hotel provides complimentary water
gear (snorkel equipment, sea kayaks, paddle-
boats) and has a poolside bar and grill, and
a restaurant.
Harbour View Haven (% 242-365-5028; www
.guanacayvillas.com; Great Guana Cay Villas; r $130-145;
nas) In the village, this very well-
maintained place has a choice of lovely spa-
cious rooms with shared balcony. It also
has good weekly rates and equally tasteful
sibling apartments for rent.
Guana Beach Resort (%242-365-5133; VHF Channel
16; www.guanabeachresort.com; d/q $1000/1500; pn
as) These gorgeous beachside rooms and
two-bedroom units are spacious, cool and
airy, and furnished with beautiful handmade
Balinese four-poster beds and love seats.
Kitchens have toasters, microwaves and
fridges. Adjacent to the public dock, there
is a beachside bar, sundeck and hammocks,
and volleyball and water sports on offer.
www.lonelyplanet.com
GREAT GUANA CAY
A B
1 Guana Seaside Village.........................4
26º42'N
4 2
2 Albury’s Ferry Dock..........................11 A3
26º40'N
Sea of Abaco
0 200 m
12
0 0.1 miles
School
5
Cemetery
10
6 Foot’s Cay
11 8 1
3 3
Kidd’s Cove
9
13
77º10'W 77º08'W
Also recommended:
Dolphin Beach Resort (%242-365-5137,
US%1-800-222-2646; www.dolphinbeachresort
.com; r per day/week $190/1330, cottages per day/week
$276/1932 plus per child $15; pnas) Tucked
away, this place has super and cheerful private villas.
Oceanfrontier Hideaway (Canada%519-389-
4846; www.oceanfrontier.com; d $200/1200 per day/
week;pnas) Beachfront log cabins.
EATING & DRINKING
Hibiscus Restaurant (%242-367-3498; Guana Seaside
Village; mains $8-22; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) A Ba-
hamian and American menu includes kids’
menu, charbroiled steak and deli sandwiches.
This beachside eatery is neat and clean, and
has a shady garden with palm trees.
Captain Easy’s Sunset Beach Bar & Grill (%242-
365-5133; Guana Beach Resort; mains $7-13; hlunch &
dinner) Seafood, steaks, pastas and island-
style, hickory-smoked barbecue buffets are
all great choices at this atmospheric little
waterside bar at the harbor.
Blue Water Grill (%242-365-5230; mains $12-27;
hlunch & dinner Wed-Mon) This classy bar and
spacious restaurant gleams with polished
A B A C O S • • L o y a l i s t C a y s 163
0
0 2 miles
4 km
C D
INFORMATION SLEEPING
Police...............................................(see 1) Dolphin Beach Resort..........................2 B2
Post Office.........................................1 A3 Guana Beach Resort...........................3 A3
B2
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Harbour View Haven..........................5 A3
Dive Guana......................................(see 7) Oceanfrontier Hideaway.....................6 B3
EATING
Blue Water Grill..................................7 B2
Captain Easy's Sunset Beach Bar &
Grill..............................................(see 3)
ATLANTIC Fig Tree Wine & Spirits.......................8 A3
Great Guana OCEAN
Guana Harbour Grocery.....................9 A3
Hibiscus Restaurant..........................(see 4)
Cay Nipper's Beach Bar & Grill.................10 B3
TRANSPORT
7
Donna's Golf Cart Rentals................12 A3
Orchid Bay Yacht Club & Marina.....13 A3
See Enlargement
Scotland
(Private)
Cay
Fowl Cay 26º38'N
Fowl Cay
Reef Preserve
77º06'W 77º04'W
wood, while huge windows overlook their
deck and sea views. Italian and Bahamian
dishes are interspersed with prime rib
nights, which makes this a perfect place for
a romantic meal or long lunch on the deck.
Nipper’s Beach Bar & Grill (%242-365-5143; VHF
Channel 16; mains $10-24; hlunch & dinner) Rely on
the free rides from the harbor to get here; it
ABACOS
is quite a hike to this well-known beachside
bar. A late-middle-aged crowd of locals and
visitors enjoy drinking here during the day,
while visitors drift in at night and for the
Sunday afternoon pig roasts.
For groceries, try Guana Harbour Grocery
(%242-365-5067). Fig Tree Wine & Spirits (%242-365-
5058; mains $16-20; hbreakfast & lunch) is a one-stop
shop for drinks, cigarettes and groceries.
Orchid Bay Yacht Club & Marina (p164)
offers lunch ($10 to $14), such as tasty grilled
jerk chicken and catch-of-the-day sandwiches
(with blackened, grilled or fried fish).
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Albury’s Ferry Service (%242-367-3147; www.oii
.net/alburysferry/; Marsh Harbour; adult/child one-way $15/
7.50) operates scheduled daily ferries from
 164 A B A C O S • • S o u t h o f M a r s h H a r b o u r
Marsh Harbour at 6:45am, 10:30am 1:30pm,
3:30pm and 5:45pm. The ferries depart
Guana Cay at 8am, 11:30am, 2:30pm, 4:45pm
and 6:30pm. Charters are available and the
ferries will drop off or pick up at locations
upon request.
Green Turtle Ferry (%242-365-8749; Mariner’s
Cove, Treasure Cay) travels from Treasure Cay to
Guana Cay at 10am and 3pm, going onto
Green Turtle Cay, and departs Guana Cay
for Green Turtle Cay at 11am and 4pm
Wednesday and Friday to Monday ($8/15
one-way/return).
Orchid Bay Yacht Club & Marina (%242-365-
5175; www.orchidbay.net) has 32 slips, a laundry,
showers, telephone and Internet service,
pool, tennis court, restaurant and bar.
Donna’s Golf Cart Rentals (% 242-365-5195)
charges $40 per day for golf carts.
SOUTH OF MARSH HARBOUR
The Great Abaco Hwy runs from Marsh
Harbour to Sandy Point, at the southwest-
ern end of the island.
Little Harbour
Be prepared from some very rocky and
roughly hewn roads to get down to the beach
at Little Harbour. To reach the jewel in the
crown, Pete’s Pub, abandon your car at the
beach and walk across the sands toward an
icy-cold beer and gorgeous views of this lovely
bay, popular with yachters and turtles.
The perfectly sheltered crescent bay is
held in the cusp of crumbling limestone
cliffs and a kerosene-lantern lighthouse
looms over the holiday ‘shacks’ of wealthy
ABACOS
American expats. You can climb to the top
for a view of the waves running in toward
the reef and the wreck of the Anne Bonney.
Zef Fessenden’s Shacks (Map p147; US %813-495-
0222, 1-845-679-5334; r per week $425) Zef can offer
you a choice of accommodations: a house
overlooking the ocean on one side of the
bluff ($675 per week), and a tiny little A-
shaped shack (ideal for one or two small,
and romantically inclined, people) in this
quiet little bay on the other. Both places are
fairly basic, with no electricity, but have gas
cookers and lamps, beds and outdoor show-
ers. They are right on the beach in stunning
settings, just a hop, skip and jump away
from Pete’s Pub.
Pete’s Pub & Gallery (Map p147; %242-366-3503;
www.petespub.com; mains $8-18; h lunch & dinner)
www.lonelyplanet.com
This beachside bar and grill at the north
end of the beach were knocked together
from driftwood, with sand for a floor and
T-shirts and ships’ pendants for decor. You
can sip grog at a bar shaped like a ship’s
prow and order burgers or a barbecue from
the open grill. Don’t miss the famous ‘Pe-
te’s Pub Pig & Pea Party’ (pig roast) every
Saturday.
The adjoining Bronze Foundry & Gallery
(Map p147; h10am-noon & 2-4pm Mon-Sat) contains
some marine sculptures and gold jewelry
as well as some remarkable bronze cast-
ings; the Vatican museum owns one of the
pieces, St Peter Fisher of Men.
The turnoff from Great Abaco Hwy
is 15 miles south of Marsh Harbour and
leads to Cherokee Sound. Two miles be-
fore Cherokee Sound, a turnoff leads to
Little Harbour via a very rough dirt road;
you’re warned!
Froggies Out Island Adventures (p157)
offers excursions to Little Harbour.
Albury’s Ferry Service (%242-365-6010) may
take you from Marsh Harbour.
Casuarina Point
The small, pin-neat village of Cherokee Sound
(population 122), 25 miles south of Marsh
Harbour, sits at the end of a peninsula jut-
ting out into its namesake sound, and sur-
rounded by mangrove shores and miles of
turquoise flats. The fishing village of Cas-
uarina Point, with a beautiful beach, lies on
the west side of Cherokee Sound.
Different of Abaco Nature Park (Map p147;
%242-366-2150; www.differentofabaco.com; r $125-200;
hcall ahead for access; pna), immediately
west of Casuarina Point, is a run-down
natural-adventure park where you can go
bird-watching, boar- and flamingo-spotting
and hiking in the extensive mangroves and
pine forests. Different of Abaco also owns
Seashell Beach Club, with modest, meagerly
appointed rooms with high ceilings, fans
and oceanfront verandas.
Sandy Beach Hideaway (Map p147; %242-367-
2655; kopet@aol.com; Casuarina Point; per week from
$1400; pna) This attractive, fully con-
tained three-bedroom house is in a fantastic
location on a nice family beach with shal-
low waters and a sheltered bay. A modern
open-plan design with church-style roof,
fans and blinds keep it cool, while a balcony
and deck have terrific views.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Sandy Point
South of Crossing Rocks, a forlorn fishing
village 40 miles south of Marsh Harbour,
the Great Abaco Hwy sweeps southwest
through vast acres of pineland and ends at
Sandy Point, a picturesque fishing commu-
nity backed by a coconut-palm plantation.
Twenty miles northwest of Sandy Point,
More Island is the only inhabited island off
the west coast of the Abaco mainland. The
settlements of Hard Bargain and the Bight
have a long fishing tradition and a wild,
rustic spirit.
Oeisha’s Resort (Map p147; %242-366-4139; fax
242-366-4493; r $70; pna) sits between the
airstrip and village, and has a restaurant
that doubles as a dance club.
Pete & Gay’s Guest House (Map p147; %242-
366-4119; fax 242-366-4007; r $70; pna), at the
head of the dock, has rooms with TV and
also serves meals.
The other eatery and bar of choice is
Nancy’s Seaside Inn, Restaurant & Bar (Map p147;
%242-366-4120).
A taxi from Marsh Harbour to Sandy
Point costs $140.
Bahamas Ferries (Map p147; % 242-323-2166;
www.bahamasferries.com; Nassau) makes the trip
from Nassau to Sandy Point twice weekly
($90 round-trip, four hours).
Captain Gurth Dean (Map p147; %242-393-1064)
mail boat sails from Nassau to Sandy Point
weekly ($30 one-way, 11 hours), also stop-
ping at More Island.
Abaco National Park
The 32-sq-mile park was established in
1994 to protect the major habitat of the
endangered Bahama parrot. About 1500
parrots now live here along with some wild
pigs and stunning orchids.
There’s also an extensive limestone cave
system to explore (the local parrot popu-
lation is unique – the birds nest in holes
in the limestone rocks), plus hiking trails,
lonesome beaches, and incredibly wild
and spectacular scenery along the Atlantic
shore. A turnoff for the park is signed 10
miles south of Crossing Rocks.
The dramatic headland at the south-
ern tip of the island is dominated by red-
and-white-hooped Hole-in-the-Wall Lighthouse,
reached by a horrendously potholed and tor-
tuous road that adds to the sense of separa-
tion from civilization. The mosquitoes are
A B A C O S • • N o r t h w e s t o f M a r s h H a r b o u r 165
very active here, so if you want to climb the
lighthouse for the view, make sure you come
prepared!
NORTHWEST OF MARSH HARBOUR
Treasure Cay
Treasure Cay, which lies 17 miles north of
Marsh Harbour, is not a true cay but a nar-
row peninsula that has secreted away one
of the Bahamas most idyllic and captivating
beaches, Treasure Cay Beach. A 4-mile-long
crescent of sugar-soft white sand appears
to melt into a vast expanse of glittering
jewel-like waters that extend to the hori-
zon. Docile rays glide through the turquoise
shallows and seabirds echo their movements
across the sky. Voted one of the world’s top
10 beaches, this treasure is protected by a
ring of palm trees, although some private
houses and condos have crept alongside the
perimeter.
Treasure Cay still has an island feel about
it, attracting a retired expat community that
inhabit condos and play golf or indulge their
boating hobbies at the one hotel’s marina.
INFORMATION
Most facilities exist here. For emergencies
call the police (%242-365-8048, 919, 911; VHF Chan-
nel 19), while Corbett Medical Centre (%242-
365-8288; Wilson Ronald M Dr) also has a minor
Emergency Medical Clinic (%242-375-8882).
The Royal Bank of Canada (%242-365-8119;
h9:30am-2pm Mon, Tue & Thu) has an ATM. Pub-
lic telephone booths can be found north
of shopping complex where the post office
(%242-365-8230;h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) is based.
ABACOS
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Anything to do with that compelling azure
sea must be taken advantage of! There’s
good bonefishing in the shallow waters on
the south side of the peninsula. Treasure
Cay Hotel Resort & Marina (p167) can or-
ganize sportfishing trips (from $375/500
per half-/full-day charter).
Treasure Divers (%242-365-8465; VHF Channel 16;
www.treasure-divers.com; Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Ma-
rina) offer two-tank dives ($80), night dives
($85) and blue-hole dives ($85). Snorkeling
is $35. They also rent gear, mask and snor-
kel ($8), fins ($8) and fishing rods ($10).
Rich’s Boat Rentals (%242-365-8582; VHF Channel
16) provides 21ft Paramount boats ($100/
270/595 per day/three days/week) and 26ft
 166 A B A C O S • • N o r t h w e s t o f M a r s h H a r b o u r www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • N o r t h w e s t o f M a r s h H a r b o u r 167

TREASURE CAY 0
0
1 km
0.5 miles
Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina (%242- GETTING THERE & AROUND
365-8578; www.treasurecay.com; Treasure Cay Rd; r $170; For information on traveling to the Abacos
A B C D
To Airport
(6mi) pnas) Pleasant two-story buildings and flights between the Abacos and Baha-
INFORMATION
Corbett Medical Centre......................1 C4
SLEEPING
Bahama Beach Club.........................10 C3
house spacious, light and airy rooms (de- mian islands please refer to p154.
Emergency Medical Clinic.................(see 1) Island Dreams Rentals......................11 C3 luxe suites are $315) and two-bedroom fully
1 Police.................................................2 C4 Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina.. 12 D4 furnished condos. Rooms are furnished Air
Black Post Office.........................................3 C4
Point Royal Bank of Canada........................4 C4 EATING with floral prints, wicker furniture and bal- Treasure Cay International Airport (airport code TCB)
Telephone..........................................5 B3
Telephone..........................................6 D4
Café Le Florence.............................. 13 D4
Touch of Class Restaurant & Bar.......14 A1
conies, as well as coffeemakers There is also is located 15 miles north of town. A taxi
26º42'N
14
Tre
asu
Treasure Cay Mini Market............... 15 C4 Spinnakers Restaurant, Coco Beach Bar to/from the airport to Treasure Cay for two
re
Cay
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
and the Tipsy Seagull Outdoor Bar. Golf people is $14. To catch a taxi, there is the
Hwy

Rd JIC Boat Rentals................................ 7 D4 SHOPPING

19
16 Carleton Rich’s Boat Rentals.............................8 D4 Abaco Ceramics............................... 16 A2 and diving packages are available. Airport Taxi Stand (%242-365-8661).
ootle

Point Treasure Cay Golf Club......................9 B3 Liquor Store..................................... 17 C4

Treasure Divers................................(see 7) Bahama Beach Club (%242-365-8500; www.baha
SC B

TRANSPORT mabeachclub.com; Treasure Cay Rd; d $350; pnas) Bicycle, Scooter & Car
Cash's Carts..................................... 18 D4
Casuarina Gas Station.......................................19 A2 These super pale-pink two-story condos sit Cars rent from $80 per day, and bicycles
2 Beach Sea of R&A................................................. 20 D4 on the beach and offer spacious and light from $10 per day. Weekly rentals should
Triple J Car Rental............................ 21 D4
Abaco Wendell’s Bicycle Rental.................(see 21) living areas and fully equipped kitchens be cheaper. Most rental companies close on
O
ce
an
Sunrise (four to six people $400). There’s a three- Sundays (except R&A, which is open daily).
Blv
d Banyan Beach
Cay
night minimum stay, but it may take longer Cornish Car Rentals (%242-365-8623)
Leeward Windward
Point
to drag yourself away from the balconies’ R&A (%242-365-8475; VHF Channel 16; hdaily) Rent
Beach
Tre
Buckingham
Beach sea views. A perfect spot. motor scooters ($31/44 per three hours/day).
Sandpiper
Cannon
Bay 9
asu
re
Ca
Brigantine Beach Banyan Beach Club (%242-365-8111; www.banyan Triple J Car Rental (%242-365-8761)
y
Rd 11
Beach
beach.com; Treasure Cay Rd) Was closed for reno- Wendell’s Bicycle Rentals (%242-365-8687)
10 vation at the time of research (due to the
3 Gun
2004 hurricanes), but should be checked Boat
Powder
See Enlargement
Creek
Clipper Rd out for the stunning beachfront location Captain Gurth Dean sails from Nassau to
Cay
alone. Treasure Cay weekly (see Marsh Harbour,
h
ac

5
Touch of Class Restaurant & Bar (%242-365- p155).
Be

Columbus ard
dw
Win
Cay 8195; SC Bootle Hwy; mains $15-30; hdinner) On the Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina
0 100 m highway 100yd south of the turnoff for (left) has 150 slips, and provides dockage
26º40'N 0 0.1 miles
Fishing 4
2 Treas
ure C
ay Rd
Treasure Cay, this popular and pleasant $1.10/0.75 for transient/long-term stays.
1
17
6 place serves Bahamian dishes, a great range Cable TV and all facilities are available, in-
15
18 21
13
of turf ‘n’ surf plates and lobster. cluding dining and accommodations.
4 3
Cafe Le Florence (%242-367-2570; shopping center;
20
SC

12 8
h7am-6pm) A sticky, spicy and warm cin- Golf Carts
Bo
otle

7 namon roll creates queues at this small café Cash’s Carts (%242-365-8771; shopping center;h8am-
Hw

Brigantine Bay
and takeaway. Fresh bread, pies and cakes 5pm) rents golf carts for $25/40/245 per half-
y

To Marsh
Harbour (11mi) 77º18'W 77º16'W
also run out of the door. day/day/week. Use the radio if they are not
ABACOS

ABACOS
Gully’s Restaurant & Bar (Airport Ferry Dock; mains there.
Paramount boats ($150/380/850 per day/ FESTIVALS & EVENTS $5-10; hbreakfast & lunch Mon-Sat) Don’t miss the
three days/week). In May the Annual Bahamian Arts & Crafts Show Fish Fry on Sundays, or the grilled red fish Taxi
JIC Boat Rentals (%242-365-8465; VHF Channel is held here as part of the long-running (snapper) and lobster. Burgers and other A taxi to/from the ferry dock from Treasure
16) provides a 24ft Angler ($150/390/840 Treasure Cay Billfish Tournament (% 242-365- snacks are also available. Cay is $14. Call Hart’s Taxi Service (%242-365-
per day/three days/week) for rent and con- 8578; www.treasurecayfishing.com), held in June (see Treasure Cay Mini Market (% 242-365-8350; 8572; VHF Channel 6).
ducts guided tours as well as fishing trips to the boxed text, p152). Another popular shopping center;h8am-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)
Shell Island, Great Guana Cay, Green Tur- event is December’s Treasure Cay Golf Champi- This very good supermarket is well stocked, Green Turtle Cay
tle Cay and New Plymouth (prices upon onship (%242-365-8578; www.treasurecay.com). and considerately has an adjacent liquor pop 461
application). store. This gorgeous island has it all, and it is
Treasure Cay Golf Club (%242-365-8045; Treas- SLEEPING & EATING still enough off the beaten track to give
ure Cay Rd; green fees $85) is a 6985yd, 18-hole Rentals are available from Island Dreams Rent- SHOPPING you an authentic Family Island experience.
golf course that has a reputation for its als (% 242-365-8507; www.islanddreamrentals.com; Abaco Ceramics (%242-365-8489; Treasure Cay Rd; It’s 8 miles north of Treasure Cay and the
narrow fairways. They have cheaper rates Treasure Cay Rd; d $250; pnas). It has a h 9am-4pm Mon-Fri) Handmade and hand- northernmost of the four Loyalist Cays. The
for Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina variety of good-quality accommodations painted kitchenware and adornments are shores are lined with magnificent white-
guests. It is possible to rent golf carts and for rent, including two-bedroom beach vil- manufactured and sold here. sand beaches, and reefs call to divers, snor-
tennis courts are also available ($20 per las, townhouses ($300) and three-bedroom The gift shop at the marina sells Abaco kelers and the loggerhead turtles that still
hour). houses ($400). gold jewelry and resort wear. crawl ashore to nest.
 168 A B A C O S • • G re e n Tu r t l e C a y www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • N o r t h w e s t o f M a r s h H a r b o u r 169

GREEN TURTLE CAY 0

A B
INFORMATION
Bahamas Outpost...............................1 B5
Government Medical Clinic................2 A6
1 Library..............................................(see 4)
Phone Booth....................................(see 4)
Phone Booth..................................(see 36)
Police.................................................3 B6
Post Office.........................................4 B6
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Albert Lowe Museum.........................5 B6
Alton Lowe Studio.........................(see 30)
Brendal’s Dive Center.........................6 B3
Cemetery...........................................7 B6
Golden Reef Apartments....................8 A6
Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden...9 B6
2 26º48'N
SLEEPING
Bella Mare........................................10
Bluff House Beach Hotel & Yacht
Club.............................................11
Coco Bay Cottages...........................12
Gillam Bay Bungalows, Studio
Apartment & Beachhouse.............13
Green Turtle Club & Marina.............14
Harbourview Vacation Cottage........15
Island Property Management...........16
New Plymouth Club & Inn...............17
Ocean Blue Properties......................18
Pelican Cove Guest Cottage.............19
Villa Pasha....................................... 20
3 For emergencies contact the police (%242-
Bluff
Cay
Sea of
4 32
Abaco
0
1 km
0.5 miles
New Plymouth, the island’s town, is a ministers and others with heaps of cash to
pretty, amiable and historic place, with neat spare). There’s no sign. Look for the tall
C D little streets and pastel-colored cottages white gates set back from the road and the
EATING DRINKING with carefully tendered gardens. Spirited white, pink and peppermint green house
Jolly Roger's Bar & Bistro..................21 B4 Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar..................28 B6
Laura’s Kitchen.................................22 B6 churches exhale the songs of tuneful con- amid trees on the hill above.
Lowe’s Food Store...........................23 A6
McIntosh Restaurant & Bakery.........24 B6
ENTERTAINMENT
Bert's Sea Garden Club.................... 29 D6
gregations on Sundays (listen to the exuber- Vert’s Model Ship Shoppe (% 242-365-4170;
Plymouth Rock Liquors & Café.......(see 18) Garden Theatre................................ 30 D6 ant meetings at the daffodil-yellow Gospel vertsmodels@hotmail.com; Bay St, New Plymouth; hMon-
Sid’s Groceries..................................25 A5
Three Sisters Ice-cream Shop............26 A5
Rooster’s Rest................................(see 29)
Chapel) and charismatic tiny bars jump to Fri) is a small place owned by Alton Lowe’s
Wrecking Tree Bar & Restaurant......27 B6 SHOPPING rake ’n’ scrape bands. brother Vert. He makes intricate model sail-
Golden Reef Souvenirs.....................(see 8)
Vert's Model Ship Shoppe................31 B6
The three-masted schooner that sailed ing ships, a genius he picked up from his
into these sun-dappled waters in 1783 car- father, a master model-boat builder. You are
TRANSPORT
Bluff House Beach Hotel & ried 500 New Yorkers (mostly Irish Protest- welcome to watch him conjuring miniature
Yacht Club Marina.......................32 B4 ants whose property had been confiscated sailing vessels from redwood, spruce and fir.
D&P Rentals...................................(see 14)
Ferry Dock........................................33 B6 by the victorious colonials). During the 19th Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden (Parliament
Ferry Office......................................34 B6 century, the town they founded grew to be St, New Plymouth) features 25 bronze busts of
D5 Mail-Boat Dock................................35 A5
Public Dock......................................36 B5 the second-largest city in the Bahamas, and notable loyalists and slaves from all the Ba-
B4
C2
Robert’s Marina............................... 37 D6
Seaside Carts....................................38 B6
it remains a charming place. Many locals hamian islands, arranged in the shape of
12 gain their income by fishing for conch and the Union Jack. Two loyalist women – one
D6
B3
lobster. Loyalist descendants won’t sell town black, one white – stand as the centerpiece
C5 ATLANTIC property to out-of-towners, although some atop a coral platform.
A6
A6
rich expats live elsewhere on the island. The 200-year-old bones of Loyalist an-
OCEAN
A5 cestors lie in a wee cemetery at the east end
Coco Bay
D6
D5
INFORMATION of Parliament St. Descendants of the long-
deceased still adorn the graves with flowers
365-4450, 911) who are adjacent to the post office and wreaths.
(%242-365-4242) in the old pink-and-white The handsome Gillam Bay Beach lies a half-
14 building on Parliament St. mile east of town and lines a glorious 2-mile
6 For communications, phone booths are in wide bay.
several locales, including outside the library White Sound is a deep bay protected by
and by the ferry dock. The library, adjoining a bluff-faced peninsula – the setting for a
White
Sound
the post office, has a good array of novels notably affluent community of expats. Pre-
Green and general reference titles. Books are bor- Columbian Lucayan artifacts have been
Turtle rowed on the honor system. Bahamas Outpost found on the bluff. It’s located 2 miles north
Cay
11 21 (%242-365-4695; bahamaoutpost@cocotels.net; Bay St, of New Plymouth,
White New Plymouth; h9am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) Dirt roads lead north from White Sound
Sound
has Internet access. Government Medical Clinic to the wild Atlantic shore and Coco Bay, with
Loyalist Rd

Long Bay Cay (%242-365-4028; New Plymouth St, New Plymouth). a lovely crescent of powder-soft sand.
ABACOS

ABACOS
SIGHTS ACTIVITIES
10 Long Bay
The 1826 Albert Lowe Museum (%242-365-4095; Diving & Snorkeling
20 Parliament & King Sts, Loyalist Rd, New Plymouth; admission Brendal’s Dive Center (%242-365-4411; VHF Channel
5 $6; h9am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri) is housed in a 16; www.brendal.com; White Sound) This excellent
0 200 m
35 0 0.1 miles
building (1826) that has served as headquar- diving outfit offers two-tank dives ($82),
ters for the US consul and as home to Neville night dives ($72) and snorkel trips ($52).
t
Charles S

18 15
Settlement Creek 26º46'N
25 26
36
Chamberlain before he became prime minis- Ask about meeting the divers’ wild ‘pets’:
St
Bay 1 ter of England. The museum was founded in groupers Junkanoo and Calypso, who cud-
23 33
Gospel Chapel
8 31
1976 by the nation’s most prominent art- dle up like dogs, and Goombay the grinning
St g

16
Kin

2 9
22 34 ist, Alton Roland Lowe, who has dedicated green moray eel. Dolphin encounters are
St ission

Cro 17 38
wn
St
5
4 Pa Yor
kS Hi
27
most of his adult life to preserving the long- instigated by the dolphins. Specialty trips
M

r t
3 liam ll
en
tS
28 St 37 Black neglected history of his native Abacos. include diving and hand-feeding a family of
t

Sound
ia S

6 t
Albert Lowe Studio (%242-365-4094; Black Sound;
St

New 24 New wild stingrays ($95, including fresh seafood

lter

tor

Plymouth Plymouth 19
Rd ry

hMon-Sat Jul & Dec or by appointment) belongs to picnic). There’s also a snorkel reef trip and
Wa

Vic

St 7 Gillam
Que

30
See Enlargement Gillam 13 Bay
29
Bay R
d
Gillam the nation’s artist laureate, and he is cer- wild dolphin encounter with lunch ($75) or a
Bay
Beach tainly the Bahama’s most successful (his Guana Cay trip to Nipper’s Beach Bar ($75).
77º20'W
works are sought after by monarchs, prime You can rent all kayaks, bicycles, diving
 170 A B A C O S • • N o r t h w e s t o f M a r s h H a r b o u r www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com A B A C O S • • N o r t h w e s t o f M a r s h H a r b o u r 171

and snorkeling equipment here, including
underwater camera and video gear.
Boat Excursions & Rentals
The Green Turtle Club & Marina (right)
offers island cruises to guests.
Brendal’s Dive Center (p169) offers day-
long sailing cruises with beach cookout
and punch on Manjack or No Name Cays.
Other options include snorkeling, hand-
feeding stingrays, diving for lobster, hik-
ing, and shelling (prices on application).
Glass-bottomed boat excursions to the reef
are $75; snorkeling gear is extra.
Lincoln Jones (%242-365-4223) runs fishing
and snorkel trips with beach picnics and
cookouts ($75/45 per adult/child).
Boat rentals range from $80 to $150 per
day. Weekly rates are better.
Donny’s Boat Rentals (%242-365-4119)
Reef Rentals (%242-365-4145)
Bonefishing & Sportfishing
A 1035lb blue marlin was caught in 1998 in
one of the Abaco tournaments held annu-
ally (the Green Turtle Club & Marina hosts
the annual billfishing tournament in May).
Typical bonefishing rates are $250/400 per
half-/full-day.
Joe Sawyer (%242-365-4173) Has 45 years of bone-
fishing experience.
Rick Sawyer (%242-365-4261) A reef and bonefishing
guide.
Ronnie Sawyer (%242-365-4070) A bonefishing guide
profiled in the media.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
ABACOS
Comedy is traditionally held here in January.
Call Ivy Roberts (%242-365-4094) or Alton Lowe
(%242-365-4264).
Also in December, during Plymouth His-
torical Weekend, Green Turtle residents cele-
brate their loyalist heritage with cultural
events and barbecues.
SLEEPING
For some super vacation rentals contact
Island Property Management (%242-365-4047;
ipm@batelnet.bs; Parliament St, New Plymouth) and
Ocean Blue Properties (%242-365-4636; www.ocean
blueproperties.com; Parliament St, New Plymouth).
New Plymouth
Golden Reef Apartments (%242-365-4055; harmony@
batelnet.bs; Parliament St, New Plymouth; apt per week $1200;
na) A peppermint green building on the
main street in the centre of town contains
this 2nd-floor, two-bedroom apartment. The
attractive decor of pale wood, white tile, rat-
tan furniture and breezy ceiling fans lends a
cool tropical feel to the place, and a spacious
veranda overlooks the street below.
New Plymouth Club & Inn (% 242-365-4161;
fax 242-365-4138; Parliament St, New Plymouth; s/d/tr
$100/130/195; pans ) This place, set
among quaint cloistered gardens, has 19th-
century colonial charm. It also has a restaur-
ant (see opposite).
Gillam Bay Beach
The following great properties all sit on a
lovely hidden-away beach, found down the
end of a forested road. They can be rented
from Ocean Blue Properties (above). Choose
THE GOOMBAY SMASH: THE BIRTH OF A CLASSIC COCKTAIL
Miss Emily, a Christian teetotaler who passed away in March 1997, came up with the seductively
lethal trademark drink of Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar (%242-365-4181; Victoria St; hnoon-10pm)
when she was ‘fooling around’ with mixes about 20 years ago. This mix of rums and fruit juices
is now as famous across the Bahamas and the world as the Bahama Mama cocktail. However,
only family members are entrusted with the original cocktail’s recipe – a still closely guarded
secret. If you have enjoyed the inferior versions of the Goombay Smash, try one here and you
will be very happy indeed!
The bar is now run by her charming daughter, Violet, who still brews the secret recipe at
home in plastic jugs. The simple wooden hut has only rustic seating, and decor is provided by
a large portrait of the kindly-looking Miss Emily (who should be toasted with respect), business
cards festooning the walls, T-shirts hanging from the ceiling, and all manner of scribbles from
happy customers. Yacht pennants from around the world also indicate the fame that this modest
blue bar (named after a tiny fish) has justifiably gained.
The friendly mood of the bar is only heightened when the music gets going. Junkanoo kicks off
here, as do many celebrations. By the way, the record number of Goombay Smashes consumed
in one night is a whopping 23; the man was taken home in a wheelbarrow.
hugely popular and good-value place gets EATING & DRINKING
booked out well in advance. Rooms have Along with some excellent hotel dining and
attractive tropical decor and pine decks. Fa- bars, the island is not short of places to eat
cilities include an English pub–style lounge, and drink.
and a restaurant offering candlelit dining. McIntosh Restaurant & Bakery (%242-365-4625;
Activities include fishing and diving. Ex- Parliament St, New Plymouth; mains $5-11; hbreakfast,
cursions are offered. lunch & dinner) American breakfasts and local
Coco Bay Cottages (%242-365-5464; www.coco fare for lunch and dinner are served here,
baycottages.com; Coco Bay; d per day/week $250/1500; where you also can buy carrot cake and
pna) Secluded and fabulous with miles homemade desserts. For luscious, creamy
of beach. homemade ice cream, head to the adjoining
Bluff House Beach Hotel & Yacht Club (%242- Three Sisters Ice-cream Shop.
365-4247; www.bluffhouse.com; White Sound; d per night/ Plymouth Rock Liquors & Café (%242-365-4234;
week $180/800; pnas) These light and Parliament & Charles Sts, New Plymouth; hlunch & dinner)
immaculate modern two-story villas are Sandwiches and soups and 70-odd options
spaced across a low hillside and have bal- of rum will keep you occupied. If not, the
conies facing the sea and a private beach gallery of extensive local art certainly will!

Green Turtle Cay’s traditional Junkanoo pa-
rades, held on Boxing Day and New Year’s
Day, attract scores of visitors. In the weeks
leading up to Junkanoo, visit Corporal Hu-
bert James Smith (Corporal ‘Smitty’), the un-
disputed king of costuming, and watch him
make his magical suits. You can find him at
Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar (opposite).
The Bluff House Fishing Tournament in May
is a winner, but the annual highlight is Re-
gatta Week, held each July, beginning with
sailing races and festivities at Green Turtle
Cay, followed by the same at Great Guana
Cay, Marsh Harbour, Man O’ War Cay,
Elbow Cay and, again, Marsh Harbour.
During the last week in December, the
Christmas Concert Under the Stars is held at the
Garden Theatre (p172). An Evening of Music &
from the cute Gillam Bay Bungalows (2-4 persons
per week $950), Gillam Bay Studio Apartment (d per
week $1250) or Gillam Bay Beachhouse (2-6 persons
per week $2500) which all sit on the beachside.
Also recommended is the one-bedroom
Pelican Cove Guest Cottage (d $650).
Black Sound Harbour
Harbourview Vacation Cottage (%242-365-4120;
marilyn@oii.net; Black Sound; per week $1250; pna)
This blue-and-white two-bedroom cottage
is a great family rental with a good-size gar-
den and screened deck.
White Sound & Coco Bay
Green Turtle Club & Marina (% 242-365-4271,
US% 800-688-4752; www.greenturtleclub.com; White
Sound; r per day/week $195/1070; pnas) This
to share. A minimum three-night stay is
required. An elegant bar and restaurant
serves lunch and formal dinners, and has a
predinner cocktail hour which is included
in the price ($40).
Long Bay Beach
Bella Mare (%242-287-3849; www.bellamaregreen
turtle.com; Long Bay; r 1-8 persons $5000, 9-10 persons
$5500; pna ) The modern beachside
Bella Mare has huge glass windows and a
deck; perfect for families.
Villa Pasha (% 242-287-3849; www.bellamare
greenturtle.com; Long Bay; villa for 1-4 persons $5500, 9-
10 persons $6500; pna) Next door to the
Bella Mare is the immaculate Villa Pasha,
with a coat of arms on their golf cart and a
chandelier in the living room.
ABACOS
Laura’s Kitchen (%242-365-4287; King St, New
Plymouth; mains $6-12; hlunch & dinner) The Ba-
hamian fare is simple but good. The lunch
menu includes a tuna sandwich, Bahamian
platters and burgers.
Wrecking Tree Bar & Restaurant (%242-365-
8635; Hill St, New Plymouth; mains $6-15; hbreakfast, lunch
& dinner Mon-Sat) The site where 19th-century
wreckers brought their ungodly salvage is
now a grand place for breakfast, or a beer
and fried fish or chicken lunch.
You can buy groceries at Lowe’s Food Store
(%242-365-4243; Parliament St, New Plymouth) and
Sid’s Groceries (%242-365-4055; Parliament St; New
Plymouth).
New Plymouth Club & Inn (opposite)
serves dinner ($25 to $33) in the cozy lounge-
cum-dining room, with jazz and classical

172 A B A C O S • • N o r t h w e s t o f M a r s h H a r b o u r
music and soft candlelight adding to the ro-
mance. Dinner is with reservations.
The attractive, busy and upmarket res-
taurant at the Green Turtle Club & Marina
(p170) overlooks the marina and water.
Try dishes such as the succulent coconut-
cooked shrimp or Asian-spiced duck breast
with raspberry drizzle (mains $27 to $30).
A log fire is lit on cool winter evenings. It’s
open for breakfast, lunch and dinner but
dinner is only with reservations.
Bluff House Beach Hotel & Yacht Club (%242-
365-4247, US %800-688-4752; White Sound; mains $15-25;
hlunch & dinner) Jolly Roger’s Bar & Bistro is
popular for the reggae, lively bar staff, Amer-
ican and Bahamian food (mains $8-15), fro-
zen daiquiris and Vern’s famous Tranquil
Turtle (more like crawling-on-your-knees-
turtle), to be sipped on the wooden deck.
ENTERTAINMENT
Rooster’s Rest (%242-365-4066; Gilliam Bay Rd, New
Plymouth) The Gully Roosters perform rake
’n’ scrape calypso and soca music here on
Friday and Saturday nights.
You can play pool next door at Bert’s Sea
Garden Club (Gilliam Bay Rd, New Plymouth), where
Bert Reckley serves a house concoction of
coconut, rum and milk.
The Gully Roosters also perform at Bluff
House (above) on Thursday night, and
at the Green Turtle Club (see p170) on
Wednesday night.
On Thursday night there’s a beach bar-
becue with live bands and Junkanoo mini-
events at Bluff House (p172). Live music is
also offered on Tuesday.
ABACOS
The open-air Garden Theatre (Black Sound),
adjacent to the Alton Lowe Studio, hosts
comedy, and musical and theatrical con-
certs throughout the year.
SHOPPING
Model boats at Vert’s Model Ship Shoppe
(p169) are not cheap, beginning at over
$100. A 26-inch one-master costs about
$600. For two- or three-masted ships up to
5ft long, expect to pay $1200 to $2500.
Golden Reef Souvenirs (%242-365-4511; Parlia-
ment Rd, New Plymouth) They sell handmade gold
jewelry, resort wear and other souvenirs.
Also look for paintings by Alton Lowe,
sold at the gallery next to the Albert Lowe
Museum (p169). You might see some of
his works displayed at the Ocean Blue
www.lonelyplanet.com
Gallery in the Plymouth Rock Liquors &
Café (p171), where over 50 artists are rep-
resented by prints, oils and watercolors.
Other gems include stained-glass work by
Rome Heyer.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Green Turtle Ferry (%242-365-4166; VHF Channel 16,
Airport Ferry Dock; $8/14 single/return) departs from
Green Turtle Cay for Treasure Cay at 8am,
9am, 11am, noon, 1:30pm, 3pm and 4:30pm.
The ferries return at 8:30am, 10:30am,
11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm
and 5pm.
The ferries will drop you at White Sound
for an extra $2. The skipper will also drop
you off at the dock nearest your hotel or
radio ahead so that your rental’s caretaker
will be waiting for you. Ferries also operate
on demand, at extra cost, for people with
flights; call ahead.
Mail boat Captain Gurth Dean calls in
once a week from Nassau; see p155.
Green Turtle Cay is a Port of Entry for
the Bahamas; Customs & Immigration (%242-
365-4077) is on Parliament St, in New Plymouth.
Black Sound is considered a hurricane
shelter.
Bluff House Beach Hotel & Yacht Club (%242-
365-4247; VHF Channel 16; www.bluffhouse.com; White
Sound) has 45 slips and there is transient/
monthly dockage on offer for $1.15/0.85
per foot. It provides electricity, water and
laundry.
Green Turtle Club & Marina (p170) has
40 slips offering dockage and providing
electricity, water and laundry facilities.
Robert’s Marina (%242-365-4249; Black Sound)
has a full-service marina.
GETTING AROUND
The preferred mode of transportation is the
golf cart. Carts can be ordered by getting
the ferry captain to call ahead on VHF.
D & P Rentals (%242-365-4655; VHF Channel 16;
dmcintosh@oii.net; Green Turtle Marina, White Sound;
h8am-5pm) rent gas or electric carts for $25/
50/240 per half-day/day/week and scooters
for $50 per day.
Seaside Carts (%242-365-5497; VHF Channel 16;
seasidecarts@hotmail.com; Bay St, New Plymouth) meets
the ferries and rent carts for $25/50/230 per
half-day/day/week.
Brendal’s Dive Centre (p169) rents out
bicycles ($12) and kayaks ($10 per hour).
www.lonelyplanet.com
Spanish Cay
On your way to Spanish Cay you will pass
Cooper’s Town, a center for commercial citrus
farms. Spanish Cay, a 3-mile-long sliver of
land 3 miles off the northern tip of Great
Abaco, was once owned by Queen Elizabeth
II. Four beautiful beaches line the eastern
shore. Most of its 185 acres are covered in
palm groves and tropical forest, with a few
homes of the international gentry hidden
in their midst.
Spanish Cay Inn & Marina (Map p147; %242-
365-0083; www.spanishcay.com; r $150; pnas)
This small luxury resort used to host the
Dallas Cowboys. It has light and comfort-
able two-room suites, condos and villas.
Facilities include a waterfront restaurant,
tennis courts, and a whirlpool with a nearby
bar. Golf carts are available, as are boats for
fishing or diving. The marina offers 82 slips
and full facilities.
Spanish Cay has a 5000ft airstrip for guests
arriving by private plane.
A water taxi runs from the Government
Dock at Cooper’s Town.
Little Abaco
Great Abaco finishes 5 miles northwest of
Cooper’s Town at Angel Fish Point, where
SC Bootle Hwy swings west over a bridge
onto Little Abaco island.
The population lives in four small and
relatively poor settlements: Cedar Harbour,
Mount Hope, Fox Town and Crown Haven.
There’s a post office, small hotel and po-
lice station in Fox Town. There are a few
modest beaches and the bonefishing on
the south side of the island is said to be
excellent.
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A B A C O S • • N o r t h w e s t C a y s 173
NORTHWEST CAYS
Grand Cay
pop 435
Near the top of the Abacos chain, Grand Cay
is divided into the larger, box-shaped, virtu-
ally uninhabited isle of that name and, to its
east, Little Grand Cay and Mermaid Cay,
both with small settlements. There are sev-
eral beaches; the most spectacular is Wells
Bay, which runs the 2-mile west shore of
Grand Cay. The bonefishing here is superb.
Walker’s Cay
This tiny rocky cay sits right at the northern
end of the Abacos chain. It is fringed by a
barrier reef that offers spectacular diving,
often in less than 30ft of water. Highlights
include old wrecks, including a WWII relic;
Jeanette’s Reef, boasting a large population
of eels; caverns full of silver minnows; and
Travel Agent Reef, a beautiful coral garden
ideal for snorkelers and novice divers.
Walker’s Cay Hotel & Marina (%242-353-1264;
www.walkerscay.com; d/ste $170/335; nas) has
been a firm favorite with fishermen since the
1930s, and is operated by staff who boat in
each day. Other than visitors, the cay’s resi-
dents consist of scurrying, curly-tailed lizards
and seabirds, including sooty terns and frig-
ates. Two restaurants and bars offer enough
steak and fish to keep everyone happily fed.
Attractive rooms have private terraces. Facili-
ties include two swimming pools (one fresh-
water, the other saltwater) and a Jacuzzi, plus
stores, a volleyball court, a tennis court and
water sports, including diving.
An airstrip welcomes chartered planes
ABACOS
from Florida and elsewhere, while the ma-
rina has 75 slips and full facilities.
 © Lonely Planet Publications
174 www.lonelyplanet.com
History
Eleuthera
The name ‘Eleuthera’ comes from the Greek
word eleutheros, meaning freedom (the
Lucayans who originally settled the island
called their home ‘Cigatoo’). In 1648, Eng-
lish refugees fleeing religious persecution
in Bermuda during the English Civil War
era landed in Eleuthera after the Devil’s
When it comes to wishing for the archetypal ‘idyllic island,’ it is impossible to think past the Backbone reef ripped open their boats.
delicate pink-sand beaches and sparkling turquoise seas of tranquil Eleuthera. On the east They were later joined by Loyalists, who
coast, dramatic cliffs, sheltered coves and offshore coral reefs add to this vivid panorama. brought their slaves and founded new
settlements.
However, barely 50 miles east of Nassau, Eleuthera’s infamous Devil’s Backbone reef has Massive pineapple exports in the late
claimed plenty of ill-fated ships over the centuries. Although divers explore these evocative 1800s and early 1900s were replaced with
less intensive farming crops. Abandoned
remains, many other vessels still wait to be found. The hurricanes of 1992, 1999 and 2004
silos recall the thriving cattle and chicken
have also whacked many villages across the main island. industries that evolved in the 1950s. Alas,
following independence the government
The Queen’s Hwy runs the length of this fashionably thin 100-mile-long island, making bought out the farmers, and within a short
exploration easy, while the Bight of Eleuthera to the west is a vast expanse of shallow period of time the farms were derelict. Since
scalloped waters where bonefish hunters await their prey. then, with the exception of Harbour Island,
tourism on Eleuthera has also withered
The high-speed ferry service makes Nassau accessible and day-trippers can visit the haunt and many once-fashionable resort hotels
of the rich, famous and beautiful – Harbour Island, coined the prettiest Caribbean island. It are now closed. St Georges Island’s Span-
still has an attractive Bahamian character, despite the laconic wealth displayed by visitors ish Wells, however, has a thriving lobster
industry.
and expats. An indescribably lovely coral pink beach runs along the windward shore, and Hurricane Andrew knocked the socks off
breakers are stopped by coral reefs, guaranteeing superb bathing and snorkeling. much of North Eleuthera in 1992, and Hur-
ricane Floyd hit the island with a right hook
While hotels on these isles cater for the seriously wealthy, boutique hotels and self-contained in 1999. The 2004 hurricanes also added to
accommodations make these rosy beaches and warm azure waters accessible to us all. the general damage sustained by the infra-
structure and many villages.
HIGHLIGHTS Getting There & Away
! Strolling hand in hand with your beloved at Harbour Island Most travelers to Eleuthera fly into Gover-
sunrise on Pink Sands Beach (p178), Harbour nor’s Harbour Airport or North Eleuthera
Island International Airport (if they are heading
to Harbour Island). Others take the twice-
! Toasting the world’s largest coconut with a Alice
Town weekly fast ferry from Nassau. A number
tumbler of rum, before dancing to reggae Governor's
Harbour
of day trips to the cays from Nassau on
under the stars at the Vic Hum Club (p181),
super-zippy powerboats are also very pop-
Harbour Island
ular. Cheaper but slow mail boats and ex-
! Watching the sun set over Cupid’s Bay from the charming pensive private boat charters round out the
cottages and orchid-filled garden at the Duck Inn (p187) in options.
Governor’s Harbour
! Climbing up to East Point Lighthouse to delight in the views of Getting Around
Lighthouse Beach (p191), Eleuthera’s most beautiful rosy beach You’ll need your own transport if you want
to explore Eleuthera outside of Governor’s
! Savoring delectable Bahamian dishes with a Sicilian twist and the
Harbour or Harbour Island. Fortunately,
ELEUTHERA
lively company at the Rainbow Inn (p187), near Alice Town
car-rental agencies can be found at the air-
port and through accommodations. If you
Lighthouse Beach fly in, you’ll have to catch a ferry or water
taxi to Harbour Island where bicycles or
! TELEPHONE CODE: 242 ! POPULATION: 8545 ! AREA: 198 SQ MILES
golf carts are the modus operandi; they’re
easily rented at the dock.
N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • H a r b o u r I s l a n d 175
NORTH ELEUTHERA
Eleuthera is neatly divided by a tendril-thin
strip of land called The Glass Window, one-
quarter of the way down the island. Immedi-
ately north, the isle broadens out in a rough
triangle with Current Island to the west. To
the east, Harbour Island and neighboring
cays enclose a vast harbor. North Eleuthera
includes Governor’s Harbour.
HARBOUR ISLAND
pop 1523
It is hard to live up to the accolade of being
the prettiest island in the Caribbean, but ‘Bri-
land,’ as it is known, is especially charming.
The lovely little pastel-colored cottages with
their tiny and immaculate gardens, the nar-
row streets hung with vibrant garlands and
that indescribably beautiful coral pink beach
running the length of the windward shore are
all simply entrancing. Although many Eleu-
therans shudder at the island’s tourism, for
visitors it is an entrancing mix of Old World
Bahamas and island living at a very comfort-
able level, all underscored by the undeniable
charm and friendliness of the Brilanders.
Harbour Island discreetly houses well-
known Bahamian artist Eddie Minnis, singer
Jimmy Buffett, Aussie supermodel Elle
Macpherson and many other celebrities.
Quaint Dunmore Town, on the harbor side,
harks back 300 years. The town was laid out
in 1791 by Lord Dunmore, governor of the
Bahamas (1787–96), who had a summer resi-
dence here. Maybe the clip-clop of hooves
has been replaced with the whir of golf carts,
but the daily pace has not changed much.
Once a noted shipyard and a sugar-refining
center from which a rum-making tradition
evolved, today most adults are employed at
the hotels or in fishing.
The Bahamas Billfish Championship regu-
larly heads this way around May (see boxed
text, p152).
Orientation
The ferry alights on the corner of Bay and
ELEUTHERA
Church Sts. Church St and other streets rise
gently inland to Dunmore St. The resorts
run along Pink Sands Beach, to the east.
Colebrook St runs south to a private resi-
dential estate, while Bay St extends north to
Nesbit St at the northern end of the town.
 ELEUTHERA
0 20 km
ELEUTHERA 0 12 miles

A B C D E F
Northeast Providence Channel
Devil's Backbone Wrecks

1 St Georges Island 14 1
29 9
Gene's Bay
Russell Island Man Island

y
34

Hw
See Spanish Wells Map (p184) Cistern Bay
Harbour Island 10
Tarpum Bay
Royal Island See Dunmore Town Map (p179) 25º30'N

Queen's
33
The Bluff Winding
3 28 Bay
The Arch
30 North Eleuthera 27
International Fishing
Airport
Lower Upper
Bogue 0 2 km Joseph’s
2 Bogue Glass Window Cay 2
176 N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • E l e u t h e r a

0 1 mile
18
Current Gaulding's Cay
Current Cut 13 Holiday Beach
Current Cut Gregory Town 2
24 Surfer’s Beach
19
7
James
Current Island Hatchet Bay Point James Cistern Beach ATLANTIC OCEAN
Alice
Town 17 Queen's Hwy 25º20'N
James Cistern
31
3 Ol
d 3
Q

Governor’s Harbour
ue

Fishing Airport
e
n'
s
Hw

12
y

Eleuthera Island

26
See Governor's Harbour Map (p188)
15
4 North Palmetto Point 4
35 21
20
25º10'N
Bight of Eleuthera 25 11
South Palmetto Point
Fishing 16
Ten Bay Beach
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Savannah Sound
INFORMATION
Government Medical Clinic.................1 E7 Windermere Island
Government Medical Clinic..............(see 2)
Police.................................................2 C2 22
Police...............................................(see 1)
Queen's Hwy

5 Post Office.......................................(see 2) Fishing 5

Scotiabank..........................................3 B2 Savannah
Scotiabank..........................................4 E6 Sound

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES 24º40'N

www.lonelyplanet.com

Bahamas Out-Island Adventures....(see 19)

Blow Hole...........................................5 E7
Cotton Bay Club (Closed)...................6 E7
Hatchet Bay Cave...............................7 C3 Tarpum
Ocean Hole........................................8 F7 Bay
Preacher's Cave..................................9 B1 See Enlargement
St Columbus Church.........................10 E1
Fishing Half Sound
6 SLEEPING 6
Bahama Sands Real Estate.................11 F4
Cocodimama Charming Resort.........12 D3 Rock Sound
Airport
Cove Eleuthera.................................13 C2
s

Ingraham’s Beach Inn........................14 F1 Rock

Sound Eleuthera Island
Palmetto Point Lighthouse................15 E4
y

4
Palmetto Shores Vacation Villas........16 E4 32 Rock Sound
Rainbow Inn....................................17 D3 1
a

Cape Eleuthera 8
Sammy's Place...............................(see 32) 5 25º00'N
Sandcastle Apartments.....................18 A2
C

Surfer’s Haven..................................19 C3
Tropical Dreams Motel Resort..........20 E4
Unique Village Resort Hotel..............21 F4
Windermere Island Club (Closed).....22 F5 Deep Creek
7 Jacks Bay 7
Exuma Sound Greencastle Cotton Bay Golf Club
EATING
a

Big Rock General Store...................(see 31) Waterford 6

Cotton Bay
D & N Pizza......................................23 E7 Davis Harbour
m

Dolcevita Restaurant & Lounge......(see 17) 23

Wemyss Bight
Down Home Pizza..........................(see 32) SHOPPING The Village
u

Elvina's Bar & Restaurant..................24 C2 Island Made Gift Shop......................(see 2)

Qu

Haven Bakery.................................(see 32) Tarpum Bay Shopping Centre...........27 E2

x
een

Juneek's Savoury Snacks................(see 31)

's H

Marketplace Supermarket..............(see 32) TRANSPORT

w

E
y

Mate & Jenny’s Restaurant & Bar.....25 E4 Ferry Dock (Ferry to Harbour Island)..28 B2
Meryl's Bakery...............................(see 19) Ferry Dock (Ferry to Spanish Wells)...29 B1 24º50'N
Palm Garden Restaurant & Bar.......(see 32) Gas Station.......................................30 B2 Millars
8 Thompson's Bakery........................(see 24) Gas Station...................................... 31 D3 8
Bannerman
Tippy's Bar & Beach Restaurant........26 E4 Gas Station.......................................32 E6
Gas Station.......................................33 E2
East Point Lighthouse Lighthouse Beach
DRINKING Gas Station........................................34 F1
Corner Bar.....................................(see 24) Gas Station.......................................35 E4 Eleuthera Point
Lighthouse Bay
76º50'W 76º40'W 76º30'W 76º20'W 76º10'W
N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • E l e u t h e r a 177

ELEUTHERA
 178 N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • H a r b o u r I s l a n d www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • D u n m o re T o w n 179

Information with ancient wrecks. Among them are Cien- DUNMORE TOWN 0
0
200 m
0.1 miles
Public telephone booths sit along Bay St. fuegos, a cruise ship, and the Potato & Onion, a
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-333-2621; massive 19th-century wreck just 15ft down. A 43
B C D
ATLANTIC
Dunmore St; h9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri) Dive operators also head for the Arch, where St
OCEAN
BaTelCo (%242-333-2648; Colebrook St) sharks, rays and schools of jacks swim Ne
sb
it
36
Harbour Island Medical Clinic (%242-333-2227; through a coral archway which begins at 1
Church St; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat) 75ft, and Current Cut, where you’re whipped
Harbourside Pharmacy (%242-363-2514; Bay St) along at speeds of up to 10 knots, in depths 42
28
Also sells papers, including the New York Times. down to 65ft. Here coral walls encourage 19
Police (%242-332-2111, 919; Goal Lane) voluminous sea life.
37
Post office (%242-332-2215; Goal Lane) Snorkelers also have a lot of choice: Bird 39 44
23

Red Apple Internet Lounge (%242-333-2750; Cay has large populations of conch and fish; Duke St
10
Trail
50 St
Colebrook St; per 20 min $10; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat) Blue Hole’s cavern features a low-lying reef; 35 33
nin
gs

Ba
n
Mu
South of the center. Gaulding’s Cay is where soft coral, sea anem-

rra
Pitt St

ck
Co
8
Royal Bank of Canada (%242-333-2250; Murray St; one and bonefish abound across a large 2 4

St
Du

leb
47 32
St

nm

roo
h9am-1pm Mon-Fri) The only bank here. area; Oleander Reef, which is close to shore, 31 el

ore
ap

k
Ch

St
29
has a tremendous variety of tropical fish; Harbour Island

St
Bay St
King St
Sights & Activities
34
and Paradise Beach’s barrier-reef system has 46 41
17 20
Pink
Sands

t
One of the finest examples of loyalist archi- heaps of coral and fish species. Moreover,

s S
13 Dr Johnson’s Beach

ces
St Memorial
tecture is the Loyalist Cottage (1797) on Bay Pineapple Rock’s shipwreck, now claimed by 38

Prin

t
7

y S
wn
45
St. The 1843 Wesley Methodist Church (cnr Dumore myriad tropical fish, is great, as is Seafan Gar-

rra
Cro
Cistern Rd
Court

Mu
11
& Chapel Sts), with beautiful hardwood pews dens, where Gorgonians await, along with Bay
1
2
22
30
and a huge model sailing ship that honors Baron, the friendly barracuda. 48
49
urc
h
St 15 La
3 51
Ch 18 al
the seafaring tradition of the Brilanders, is Dive prices here soar considerably with 9 3 Go
5
6

close to the 1768 St John’s Anglican Church (Dun- equipment rental costs included. The fol- 21

St
27

ll
Hi
more St). St John’s, near Church St, is claimed lowing companies rent snorkel gear for $10 52 Catholic
Church
to be the oldest church in the Bahamas. and provide snorkeling trips for approxi- INFORMATION
Also worth a visit are the ancient graves at mately $30. Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.............1
BaTelCo.............................................2
C3
C3
the cemetery on Chapel St. Bahamians give it Valentine’s Dive Center (%242-333-2080; www Harbour Island Medical Clinic.............3 B3 York St
40

Bay St
Harbourside Pharmacy........................4 B2
a wide berth at night, being fearful of spirits. .valentinesdive.com; Bay St) offers two-tank ($65) Police.................................................5 C3
24 12

The handsome 1913 Commissioner’s Residence and one-tank night dives ($60). All-day dive Post Office.........................................6 C3 Clarence St
Royal Bank of Canada.........................7 B3
sits on Goal Lane at Colebrook St. excursions ($115) and reef-running under- Telephone Booth................................8 A2 16
There’s a bizarre collection of international water scooters ($125) are also to be enjoyed. 4 Telephone Booth................................9 B3
53
license plates and driftwood signs painted with Fishing fans can also charter boats (per half- SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Sir George Roberts
Museum & Library
humorous limericks and aphorisms on Dun- day/day $400/650). Deep-sea fishing is also Cemetery.........................................10 C2 South St
Commissioner’s Residence................11 C3
more St, opposite the Royal Palm Hotel. offered ($575/775 per half-day/day). Driftwood Signs...............................12 C4 25
Cannons can be seen at the southern Romora Bay Dive Shop (%242-333-2325; Queen’s Loyalist Cottage................................13
Roundheads.....................................14
B2
B5
end of Bay St. Named Roundheads, this now Hwy), south of the center, has two-tank dives St John’s Anglican Church................15 C3
overgrown 17th-century battery was built ($110), twilight and night dives ($126), Valentine’s Dive Center....................16
Wesley Methodist Church................17
B4
B2
14

by the English to defend the island.
No exaggeration, the wide and stunning
length of Pink Sands Beach is really pink; a faint
Sandy Point wall and reef dives with lunch
26
($189) and cave diving including Nitrox for SLEEPING
Bahama House Inn...........................18 C3 To Red Apple B&B (440yd);
decompression. It also rents Sunfish and 5 Coral Sands Hotel.............................19 D1 Red Apple Rentals (440yd); Alice St

blush by day, turning a rosy red when fired
by the dawn or sunset. The sea is great for
Queen's
Dunmore Beach Club.......................20 D2 Red Apple Internet Lounge
sailboards ($20/60 per hour/day). Landing............................................21 B3
(440yd); Krataios Real Estate Rentals
(440yd); Romora Bay Club (765yd);
Ocean Fox Divers (%242-333-2323; www.oceanfox Ocean View.....................................22 D3 Romora Bay Dive Shop (765yd);

Hwy
Pink Sands........................................23 C2 Harbour Island Marina (2mi);
swimming and snorkeling, while nearby ho- .com; Harbour Island Marina), south of the center, is Royal Palm Hotel..............................24 C4
Ocean Fox Divers (2mi)

tels have public bars and restaurants. It’s per- a small outfit that caters for up to six on its Royal Palm Hotel Annex...................25 C4 Pineapple Fruit ’n’ Veg.....................35 A2 SHOPPING
Tingum Village.................................26 C5 Pink Sand's Blue Bar.........................36 D1 Miss Mae’s Fine Things....................45 C3
fect for self-indulgent beach bumming. 34ft-custom dive boat. It also has two-tank Sawyer’s Food Store.........................37 B2 Princess St Gallery.............................46 B2
dives ($105), one-tank night dives ($90), dive EATING
Angela's Café...................................27 B3
Sip Sip.............................................. 38
Sybil’s Bakery....................................39
D3
B2
Sanya’s Music Spot...........................47
Straw Market....................................48
B2
B3
DIVING & SNORKELING tours to Grouper Hole ($65) and Current
ELEUTHERA

Fish have long been protected off Harbour
Island, where groupers are so tame that
they will nuzzle divers, hoping to be fed.
The island is surrounded by superb dive
sites, highlighted by the Devil’s Backbone, with
more than 3 miles of pristine reefs littered
Cut & Wreck dives ($125). It also has deep-
sea fishing ($525/895 per half-/full-day).
BONEFISHING & SPORTFISHING
Fishing guides and boats cost around $250
to $350 per half-day and $400 to $600 per
Angela’s Starfish Restaurant..............28 B1
Arthur’s Bakery.................................29 B2
Harbour View Lounge......................30 B3
6 Harry O's.........................................31 A2
Johnson’s Grocery............................32 B2
Ma Ruby’s.....................................(see 26)
Patricie’s Fruits & Vegetables
Food Store....................................33 B2
Pigly Wigly Store..............................34 B2
ELEUTHERA
Tropical Treasures.............................49 B3
DRINKING
Willie’s Tavern................................. 40 C4 TRANSPORT
Bahamas Ferries.............................(see 52)
ENTERTAINMENT
Charlie’s Bar.....................................41 B2
Briland Rentals.................................50 A2
Dunmore Rentals..............................51 B3
Garfield's Hill Top Game Room.........42 B1 Ferry Dock (Ferry to North
Gusty’s Seafood Dining Deck & Club..43
Vic Hum Club...................................44
B1
B2
Eleuthera).....................................52 B3
Valentine's Resort & Marina.............53 B4
 180 N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • H a r b o u r I s l a n d
full-day. See p178 for alternative arrange-
ments.
Bonefish Stuart (%242-333-2072)
Maxwell Higgs (%242-333-2323)
Patrick Roberts (%242-333-3014)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Horseback riding on Pink Sands Beach is
around $20 per half-hour; wave down the
gent strolling the sands with his untethered
four-legged friends or call on %242-333-
2317. Ron & Cleotis (%242-333-2317) also offer
horseback riding. Ask about rates.
Bicycles can be rented ($30 per day) from
Michaels Cycles (%242-2384).
Kayaks are rented ($25 per hour) from
Dunmore Beach Club (right).
Sleeping
There are some great-value rental and
self-contained places listed on the island.
Contact Bahama Sands Real Estate (Map pp176-7;
%242-332-2662) and Krataios Real Estate Rentals
(%242-333-2750; www.redapple.bb.com; Queen’s Hwy).
MIDRANGE
Bahama House Inn (%242-333-2201; www.bahama
houseinn.com; cnr Dunmore & Hill Sts; r $140; na)
This super and spacious B&B is a charming
and subtly restored colonial home. Outdoor
decking connects cool and comfortable liv-
ing, dining and library/lounge areas, while
bedrooms are furnished with eclectic co-
lonial furniture, some with draped four-
poster beds. En-suite rooms overlook a
large garden and patio deck, just made for
a quiet read and a glass of chilled rum and
pineapple juice. A studio apartment is also
offered. No children under 12 are allowed.
Landing (%242-333-2707; landinghl@aol.com; Bay
St, r $155; pna) This lovely old colonial
building (circa 1899) on the waterfront in
town has a few rooms with creaky polished
wooden floors, and four-poster beds made
up with crisp white cotton sheets. A library,
TV lounge and lovely back garden are open
to guests, and a popular restaurant (reser-
vations required) serves classic dinners.
Tingum Village (%/fax 242-333-2161; Queen’s Hwy;
ELEUTHERA
r/ste $115/125, ste with Jacuzzi $175; pna) This
pleasant and friendly place has a choice of
spick-and-span rooms and suites, all fur-
nished with Bahamian cane and handmade
wooden furniture (suites have kitchen and
Jacuzzi). The on-site restaurant and bar (Ma
www.lonelyplanet.com
Ruby’s; opposite) open on to a pleasant gar-
den. A path leads from the garden over hill to
the beach, probably a 10-minute walk away.
Red Apple B&B (%242-333-2750; www.redapplebb
.com; Queen’s Hwy; r per night/week $129/903; pn
ai) These fabulous self-contained units
are great value and very tastefully decorated.
Light wood and white surrounds are the set-
ting for large and comfortable one- and two-
bedroom apartments. Large bathrooms and
useful kitchens are also well maintained.
The friendly owners, Rosita and Joseph
Roberts, also rent golf carts and offer bone-
fishing expeditions.
Royal Palm Hotel (%242-333-2738; www.royal
palmhotel.com; Clarence St; r $97-120; pna) This
small and modern motel-style lodging is very
popular with divers. Spotless rooms are tiled
in white and are simply but comfortably
furnished. This nice, attractive part of town
is more Bahamian in character and very
good value.
TOP END
Coral Sands Hotel (%242-333-2350; pamela@coral
sands.com; Chapel St; r $235; pnas ) This
classy and intimate beach resort extends
over 14 acres. Rooms blend Caribbean
colors, wicker furniture and artwork to cre-
ate a homey feel; oceanfront rooms have
French doors opening to balconies, while a
library, games room, tennis court and water
sports are all on site. Bicycles, scooters and
golf carts are also available for rent.
Dunmore Beach Club (% 242-333-2200; www
.dunmorebeach.com; Court Rd; r $499; pnas)
An unpretentious, friendly but elegant place
with warmly hued and comfy rooms, and
units scattered back from the beach. Op-
tions include deluxe room/ocean house
($579/1600), and all rates include meals,
served on a deck overlooking the beach.
There’s a handsome clubhouse with bar and
lounge, complete with fireplace, and a highly
rated restaurant requiring men to wear jack-
ets and ties at dinner.
Pink Sands (%242-333-2030; www.islandoutpost
.com/pinksands/; Chapel St; r $655; pnais)
Just made for its exotic and wealthy rock-star
and super-model clientele, this place has to
be seen (and lunch must be eaten on the Blue
Bar’s patio overlooking Pink Sands Beach).
Stone floors and Moroccan furnishings are
used in secluded luxurious cottages, dot-
ted throughout a tropical garden. Cottages
www.lonelyplanet.com
contain a full sound and TV system, wet bar,
private patio and exotic bathrooms. Rates
include full breakfast and dinner in the ex-
otically splendid Moroccan lounge bar.
Ocean View (%242-333-2276; fax 242-333-2459;
Court Rd; r $250-375; pna) A beautifully yet
eclectically decorated nine-bedroom man-
sion where all rooms have ocean views.
Romora Bay Club (%242-333-2325; www.romora
bay.com; Queen’s Hwy; r per night/week $370/2100;
pnas) This place south of town faces
west, with self-contained cottages spilling
down through riotously colorful gardens to
wooden sun decks, a Jacuzzi and nice little
pool with sea views. Rates include breakfast
and dinner.
Eating & Drinking
You won’t go hungry and thirsty here!
Some super classic meals with a twist are
served at the Landing (opposite), such as
rack of lamb with mint sauce, pomegranates,
green beans and mashed potatoes, or fragrant
chicken curry with fried plantain and all the
trimmings. Specialty pastas include capellini
with lobster, chili and lime. The desserts are
to die for! Mains are $30 to $38. It’s open for
dinner from Thursday to Tuesday, and lunch
on Sunday; reservations are suggested.
Arthur’s Bakery (%242-333-2285; arthursbakery@
yahoo.com; Crown St) You can buy fresh herb
bread, scrumptious pastries, croissants and
pies at this family bakery.
Angela’s Cafe (Bay St) This café is no more
than a little outdoor stall across from The
Landing. The women cook fabulous crispy
fritters and chicken wings (two for $4),
along with slices of moist coconut cake.
Angela’s Starfish Restaurant (%242-333-2253;
Nesbit St; mains $5-12; hlunch & dinner) Bahamian
food is served in this nice little place with
an outside garden and very friendly owners.
Popular dishes include burgers and pork,
and rice and peas.
Harbour View Lounge (%242-333-2031; Bay St;
mains $15-36; hlunch & dinner Tue-Sun) The cosy
pink-and-mint-green restaurant has a nice
casual indoor restaurant and outdoor deck;
ideal for lounging and watching people stroll
along the waterfront. Meals are pricey, but
tasty. Try the grilled fish with spicy sauces
and curried pumpkin soup.
Ma Ruby’s (%242-333-2161; Tingum Village, Queens
Hwy; mains $10-20; hlunch & dinner) Serving Baha-
mian dishes, the outdoor/indoor café and
N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • H a r b o u r I s l a n d 181
bar are bright and airy with upbeat decor.
Ma Ruby’s ‘Cheeseburgers in Paradise’ are
featured in Jimmy Buffett’s Parrot Head
Handbook.
Sip Sip (%242-333-3316; Pink Sands Beach; mains
$14-21; hlunch) This hugely popular place has
grand sea views and attracts young trend-
ies with lots of shiny flicked hair, designer
shades and golf carts with go-faster stripes.
The lime green house is easy to spot, and
serves drinks, salads and burgers.
Pink Sand’s Blue Bar (%242-333-2030; Chapel St;
mains $20-30; hlunch & dinner) A must for lunch,
overlooking Pink Sands Beach. À la carte
lunches for all-comers, with chicken tikka,
spring rolls, jerked chicken Caesar salad
and super grilled-fish burgers. The fresh-
fruit cocktails are luscious and unmissable,
as is the view from the patio.
Charlie’s Bar (Dunmore St; mains $8-14; hbreak-
fast, lunch & dinner) This friendly bar is quite
elegant, serves bar meals and a great selec-
tion of rums.
Willie’s Tavern (% 242-333-2121; Dunmore St)
Another popular, down-to-earth bar with
a lofty ceiling festooned with fishing nets. It
has a pool table and sports on TV.
A number of grocery stores include John-
son Grocery (%242-333-2279; Dunmore St); Patricie’s
Fruits & Vegetables Food Store (%242-333-2289;
Pitt St), just north of the village center; Saw-
yer’s Food Store (%242-333-2356; Dunmore St); Pigly
Wigly Store (%242-333-2120; King St); Pineapple
Fruit ‘n’ Veg (%242-333-2454; Bay St); and Sybil’s
Bakery (cnr Duke & Dunmore Sts). Harry O’s, a stall
north on Bay St, serves all manner of burg-
ers and fried chicken.
Entertainment
Vic Hum Club (%242-333-2161; Barrack & Munnings Sts;
h11am-late) This funky and sometimes fiery
locale has a fine collection of rums, a check-
erboard court that doubles as a dance floor,
busy pool table and live reggae music from
performers like Maxi Priest or the bar’s own
Paddy ‘Big Bird’ Lewis. Most importantly
the world’s largest coconut sits behind the
bar. The place can get rowdy, fights often
break out, and the owner has a running battle
ELEUTHERA
with locals who don’t like the noise. Here’s a
promise, you won’t suffer from ennui here.
Then there’s Gusty’s Seafood Dining Deck &
Club, at the north end of town, which claims
to be Jimmy Buffett’s original ‘Margaritaville’
and where the musician has been known to
 182 N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • H a r b o u r I s l a n d www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • S p a n i s h W e l l s 183

jam. Nearby, Garfield’s Hill Top Game Room has
video-game machines.
The bar at Pink Sands (p180) offers up-
scale ambience and some grand people-
watching opportunities (count the number
of air kisses in one evening). There’s riffs
off the Island Records label on the sound
system (Mr Blackwell of Island Records is
the owner of this place).
The Harbour View Lounge (p181) has
live music and a dance club on weekends.
Shopping
There’s a waterfront straw market facing
Sugar Mill Gifts. You can buy newspapers,
batteries and Cuban cigars at Tropical Treas-
ures on the waterfront. And Sanya’s Music
Spot sells tapes and CDs of island music.
Princess St Gallery (%242-333-2788; Princess St)
Local artists are represented here, along
with Bahamian star-dauber Eddie Minnis.
Works include original oils, acrylics and
prints, hand-colored maps, antique prints
and driftwood paintings.
Kevin Cooper (%242-334-2478) A local man
and modest artist who really appreciates the
glorious colors of his surroundings, Kevin
is one of a few artists selling their afford-
able wares near the ferry dock (outside The
Landing).
Miss Mae’s Fine Things (Dunmore St) You
wouldn’t guess from the name or the flow-
ered sign, but this store sells sophisticated
designer resort wear; lots of cream linen
and light cotton clothes.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Most flights arrive at North Eleuthera Inter-
national Airport (ELH; %242-335-1242), located
in North Eleuthera, at the top end of the
mainland, or at Governor’s Harbour Airport
(%242-332-2321), halfway down the island.
Some also fly to Rock Sound Airport (%242-
334-2177) down south.
For international flights to the Bahamas
and Eleuthera please refer to p288.
These airlines fly between the Bahamian
islands and Eleuthera:
ELEUTHERA
Major’s Air Services (%242-352-5778; www.the Harbour Island Marina (%242-333-2427; VHF
bahamasguide.com/majorair) Hubs Grand Bahama and Channel 16; www.harbourislandmarina.com; Queen’s Hwy,
Eleuthera. Eleuthera) Has 35 slips and offers transient/long-term
Southern Air (Nassau %242-377-2014; www.southern dockage. It’s south of town.
aircharter.com) Hub Nassau.
Getting Around
Quoted fares are one-way. This information is solely for Harbour
Island.
Route Price Frequency Flights arrive at North Eleuthera Interna-
tional Airport (%242-335-1242), at the top end
Governor’s Harbour–Freeport, $135 2 weekly of the mainland. Taxis from the airport to
Grand Bahama the dock are $4 per person.
Governor’s Harbour–Nassau $70 3 daily The dock for ferries to Harbour Island
Governor’s Harbour–North Eleuthera $30 3 daily is 2 miles east of North Eleuthera Interna-
North Eleuthera–Freeport, $135 2 weekly tional Airport.
Grand Bahama Water taxis also operate from North
North Eleuthera–Marsh Harbour, $90 once daily Eleuthera to the ferry dock, Harbour Island
Abaco ($5 one way).
North Eleuthera–Nassau $70 3 daily Briland Rentals (%242-333-2342; Bay St) rents
Rock Sound–Nassau $70 2 daily bikes from $20 per day.
Everyone walks or uses a bicycle or golf
BOAT cart if staying awhile. You can rent carts
Also see p80 for daily boat excursions to from taxi drivers and rental agencies who
Eleuthera and Harbour Island from Nassau. are based at the dock for $40 to $50 per day.
Try Dunmore Rentals (%242-332-3372; Bay St) or
Ferry Red Apple Rentals (%/fax 242-333-2750; Queen’s
Bahamas Ferries (% 242-323-2166, 242-322-8185; Hwy), which are located south of the center.
www.bahamasferries.com; Potters Cay, Nassau) offers a On Harbour Island taxis are slightly pric-
daily fast luxury passenger catamaran, the ier than elsewhere in Eleuthera.
Bo Hengy, from Nassau to Harbour Island, Big M Taxi Service (%242-333-2285)
North Eleuthera and Spanish Wells ($128 Percival Johnson (%242-333-2174; Taxi 3)
return). The ferry leaves Nassau at 8am and Reggie & Jena’s Taxi (%242-333-2116)
there’s an extra sailing on Fridays at 1:30pm.
The trip takes two hours each way. Daily SPANISH WELLS
excursions from Nassau to Harbour Island pop 1631
are also offered, which include tours and a The first thing that may unnerve you when
grand picnic lunch at Pink Sands Beach. heading for Spanish Wells on the early
morning ferry is that the younger men get-
Mail Boat ting on the boat may be swaying a little
These leave from Potter’s Cay dock in under an alcoholic cloud. The second thing
Nassau; please call the Dockmaster’s Office that you may notice is that your smiles and
(%242-393-1064) for further details on these ‘good day’ wishes are deliberately ignored
schedules. One-way fares are from $30. by fellow passengers and the ferry opera-
Eleuthera Express Departs Nassau for Governor’s tors. Mainland Bahamians will warn you
Harbour and Spanish Wells on Monday and Thursday. that the islanders here do not want tourism
MV Bahamas Daybreak III Departs Nassau for Rock on their island, and may not give you much
Sound, South Eleuthera, on Monday, and the Bluff and of a welcome. It is unfair to say that all
Harbour Island on Thursday. islanders here will react this way, but do be
MV Current Pride Departs Nassau for Current, Lower prepared for some frosty stares and displays
The deeply religious and mainly white pop-
ulation follows an alcohol-free, ordered and
reticent lifestyle. Generations of isolation
have concentrated the gene pool, reflected
in traits much of the population shares,
another slightly unnerving characteristic of
this place. It seems as if half of the island is
named Pinder. Many of the neat and pretty
little houses are over 200 years old, and dis-
play handmade quilts for sale. Fishing and
diving fans will enjoy these pristine waters
and a beautiful beach rims the north shore.
Lobstering is its major trade and the
source of phenomenal incomes (the locals
are among the wealthiest of all Bahamians).
Fishermen operate from state-of-the-art
trawlers and go out as far as 250 miles for
a month at a time. When the ‘boys’ are away
the town is deathly still.
Information
For emergencies contact the police (%242-333-
4030, 919; Main St) or Spanish Wells Clinic (%242-
333-4064; Adventurer’s Ave). The Royal Bank of Canada
(%242-333-4131; Main St; h9am-3pm Mon, to 1pm
Tue-Thu, to 4:30pm Fri) has an ATM. The post of-
fice (%242-333-5254; Main St) is also central; tel-
ephone boxes can be found here.
Sights & Activities
The island’s history is told at Spanish Wells
Museum (%242-333-4710; Main St; h10am-noon &
1-3pm Mon-Sat), which contains a motley col-
lection of photos and bric-a-brac. It’s next
to the Islander Shop (the owner will open
up for you).
Manual’s Dive Station (%242-333-4495; fax 242-
333-4622; Mickey & Karen Pinder sign on Main St) is a
hardware store that also rents out some dive
equipment. It may be wise to call ahead to
see if they stock your requirements, as there
is not a great range of gear available.
Spanish Wells Pilot Service (%242-333-4427; VHF
Channel 16) offers fishing, snorkeling and boat
rentals; prices upon application.
Sleeping & Eating
Adventurers Resort (% 242-333-4883; mapeleaf@
batelnet.bs; Adventurer’s Ave; r $80; pna) Car-

Abaco Air (%242-367-2266; www.abacoaviationcentre
.com/abacoair) Hub Marsh Harbour, Abaco.
Bahamasair (UP; %242-377-5505; www.bahamasair
.com) Hubs Nassau & Freeport.
Cherokee Air (%242-367-3450; www.cherokeeair
.com) Hubs Marsh Harbour, Abaco.
Bogue, Upper Bogue and Hatchet Bay every Thursday.
Marinas
Valentine’s Resort & Marina (%242-333-2142; VHF
Channel 16; info@valentinesresort.com; Bay St, Eleuthera)
Offers transient/long-term dockage and has all facilities.
of passive hostility. It may well even suit
you if you want a quiet holiday!
St Georges Island only lies 1 mile offshore
from Gene’s Bay. The village of Spanish
Wells dominates the island and dates back
to the days of the Eleutheran Adventurers.
ELEUTHERA
peted one- and two-bedroom motel-style
rooms are pleasantly, if modestly, furnished.
Some have kitchenettes, and there are ea-
teries within a short drive or walk. This L-
shaped block has two stories that surround a
small green. The beach is half a mile away.
 184 N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • P re a c h e r ’ s C a v e
SPANISH WELLS
A B
Samu
el G
uy
St
1 Post Office.........................................1 D2
St Georges
Island
Russell Island
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
2 tional Airport will cost $28 one-way.
Manual’s Dive Station.........................5 C1
Spanish Wells Museum......................6 D2
SLEEPING
Adventurers Resort.............................7 B2
Bahamas For Rent...............................8 C1
Bahamas for Rent (%242-333-4080; www.bahamas
vacationhomes.com; 13th St; r $850; pna) With
not even a gate twixt you and the sea, and
a stunning unspoilt beach, this is a pretty
super option. The sliding-glass doors of this
rental house let you make the most of this
pretty little bay, and the modest property
is clean and excellent value.
Eagle’s Landing Restaurant (Main St; mains $4-14;
hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) This big hall welcomes
families with cheap sandwiches and burgers.
The seating area is in front of the canteen,
while the rest of the hall contains table games,
an amusement arcade and pool tables.
Teen Planet (%242-333-4001; Main St; mains $7-15;
hlunch & dinner) A very modern setup cov-
ers a few bases: downstairs is a café/bakery
serving hot snacks such as burgers; upstairs
is the theater in which you can call and
book a movie at your own convenience. A
great idea for getting your adolescents out
of the place!
Food Fare (%242-333-4675; Main St; h8am-5pm
Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat) This well-equipped super-
market contains a pharmacy and virtually
all of your edible requirements.
In Gene’s Bay there’s parking, a phone
booth and a duty-free liquor store (which should
be called the Last Chance Saloon!).
ELEUTHERA
Getting There & Around
For information on travel to North Eleu-
thera and Spanish Wells, see p182.
Government ferries run all day between
Spanish Wells and the ferry dock at Gene’s
www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • G re g o r y T o w n 185
0
0
600 m
0.4 miles
The half-mile-long channel, Current pineapple farming, the industry is now so
Cut, separates North Eleuthera from Cur- atrophied that local farmers have difficulty
C D rent Island. It is a popular dive and snorkel mustering a respectable supply of their usu-
Northeast Providence Channel INFORMATION
Commissioner's Office.....................(see 1)
spot for very experienced swimmers who ally large and succulent fruits to display
Police...............................................(see 1) want to ‘ride’ the strong current. at the annual Pineapple Festival. Gregory
Royal Bank of Canada........................2 D2
Sandcastle Apartments (Map pp176-7; %242-335- Town’s young men have turned to lobster-
10
9 Spanish Wells Clinic............................3 B1 3244; fax 242-393-0440; r $90; pa) has two very ing, where the big bucks reside.
Telephone Booth................................4 C2
Telephone Boxes..............................(see 1)
plain beachfront cottages a quarter-mile east Gauldings Cay, 4 miles north of Gregory
11
of town; each contains a kitchen and sleeps Town, is a splendid stretch of pure-white
Ave
Main 5 8
St Cemetery
turer’s
13
3
6
three people. Bicycles may be rented ($5 per sand, while offshore the cay’s waters are
1
day). A small grocery store is nearby. home to large communities of multihued sea
Adven
7 Gospel Chapel
4 Main St
13th St
Spanish Wells
So
uth
2 14 1st St For information on travel to North Eleu- anemones. The Cove Eleuthera (p186) offers
12
St
South St Charles Island thera and Current, see p182. a daily complimentary shuttle to Gauldings
15
TRANSPORT
A taxi from North Eleuthera Interna- Cay for its guests.
Bahamas Ferries.............................(see 12)
Ferry Dock (Ferry to North Information
GREGORY TOWN
EATING Eleuthera)....................................12 D2
Eagle's Landing Restaurant..................9 B1 Gas Station.......................................13 C1 For emergencies call the police (Map pp176-7;
Food Fare..........................................10 B1
Teen Planet......................................11 C1
Gemini Game Room & Snack Bar.....14 D2
Spanish Wells Yacht Haven..............15 C2
This large settlement lies 25 miles north of %242-3325-5322, 919) or Gregory Town Clinic (Map
Governor’s Harbour and 5 miles south of pp176-7; %242-335-5108) which is down by the
the Glass Window. Here Eleuthera narrows harbor, along with the post office (Map pp176-7;
Bay ($5 per person if sharing or $10 for a down to a pencil-thin strip that separates %242-335-5180).
ride as a sole passenger for the five-minute the deep blue of the thundering Atlantic Captain 2 (Map pp176-7; %242-335-5185) offers
journey). rollers from the placid, teal green shoals deep-sea fishing charters from $100 for
You can also charter a water taxi between of the Bight of Eleuthera. A very uneven three hours, and bonefishing for $200 for
Harbour Island and Spanish Wells (from and narrow concrete bridge fills the gap on five hours.
$50 one way). Queen’s Hwy where the natural rock once
Spanish Wells Yacht Haven (%242-333-4255; fax arched. Do look out for other traffic, and Sleeping & Eating
242-333-4649; VHF Channel 16) has 40 slips and a if walking around, be aware; the cliffs are Cocodimama Charming Resort (Map pp176-7;
Laundromat. unstable and the pocked terrain is treacher- %242-332-3150; www.cocodimama.com; Queen’s Hwy;
Gemini Game Room & Snack Bar (at Ferry ous underfoot. r $210; pna) Some Italian style has defi-
Dock) rent out carts for $9/45 per hour/ Gregory Town sits on a steep-sided cove, nitely crept into the decor of these pretty
day. Many only spend an hour on the island surrounded by small plots growing onions, fab beachside villas. Inside the brightly
in between ferries. peppers, cabbage, watermelons and other colored exteriors are rooms decorated with
vegetables. Most famous as the center of cool Italian tiles and rich Indonesian fur-
PREACHER’S CAVE
This large cave, about 2 miles east of Gene’s
Bay, is said to be where the Eleutheran ad- JUICY & SWEET: ELEUTHERA’S PINEAPPLE FESTIVAL
venturers found shelter after foundering in Throughout the 18th century, pineapple production blossomed in Eleuthera, and a local variety –
1648. They made an altar here and surely the Eleutheran sugar loaf – earned recognition for Eleuthera and Gregory Town as an espe-
prayed to be rescued. Some remnants of their cially succulent fruit. In 1900 production peaked, and 7 million pineapples were exported, many
belongings remain, and regular prayer meet- heading for London’s Convent Garden Market. Alas, they were eventually supplanted by fruit
ings in the cavern keep their memories alive. from Cuba, Jamaica and Hawaii. Eleuthera’s pineapple farmers are now a dying breed. Some
The cave is fronted by a glorious beach, one pineapples are still grown here, but raising pineapples is labor-intensive, requiring backbreaking
of several beaches along the north coast. work that has little appeal for young people.
In early June the town hosts the three-day Annual Eleuthera Pineapple Festival, highlighted
CURRENT by the Miss Teen Pineapple Princess Pageant and the Pineathelon, which is a swim-bike-run
Current may be the ‘Oldest Settlement on competition. There’s also the Pineapple-on-a-Rope Eating Contest in which participants with
the Island,’ and some of the friendly towns- hands tied behind their backs attempt to nibble a dangling pineapple; a basketball shootout; a
folk claim to also be descendants of Native kayak race; and the Saturday-night Junkanoo Rush, a street party offering music, dancing and
ELEUTHERA
Americans exiled here after a massacre at some easy fun. You can find nonalcoholic pineapple smoothies and locally made pineapple rum
Cape Cod. While fishing is their industry, at the Corner Bar, and the most wonderful juicy and fragrant pineapple tarts at Thompson’s
some are known for their basketware. Fol- Bakery (%242-335-5053; Johnson St; hbreakfast & lunch Mon-Sat).
low the western road for 5 miles at Lower Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-332-2142; fax 242-332-2480; www.bahamas.com; Governor’s
Bogue’s junction, and don’t miss the lovely Harbour) is the place to go for more detailed information on this fine event.
beach on the west side of town.
 186 N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • G re g o r y T o w n t o G o v e r n o r ’ s H a r b o u r
niture. The attention to detail is excellent,
and the off-season rates ($170) are particu-
larly realistic. These lodgings and the small
beach on which they sit are modest and
perfect for a little getaway.
Cove Eleuthera (Map pp176-7; %242-335-5142,
US %800-552-5960; www.thecoveeleuthera.com; Queen’s
Hwy; r standard/deluxe $195/345; pnas) Just
north of Gregory Town, this place is aptly
named, with views over two coves and its
own beach where the snorkeling is splendid
(snorkel gear is provided), all fringed by 28
acres of vegetation. Each room is furnished
in white rattan, with tile floors and private
porch or deck. Facilities include kayaks,
tennis courts and swinging hammocks. The
Golden Grouper lounge and dining room
serves very good Bahamian dishes and some
choice fried chicken. A Saturday night buf-
fet is very popular and is often accompanied
by live music.
Elvina’s Bar & Restaurant (Map pp176-7; %242-
335-5032; Queen’s Hwy) is a surfer-dude bar when
they’re in town, as well as being a quiet
local bar with a pool table and occasional
live music.
Thompson’s Bakery (Map pp176-7; %242-335-
5053; Johnson St; h breakfast & lunch Mon-Sat) A
reminder; don’t forget the scrumptious
pineapple tarts at this bakery.
Shopping
Island Made Gift Shop (Map pp176-7; %242-335-
5369; Queen’s Hwy) Worth a stop, this shop
sells imaginative artworks, including island
scenes painted on shells and driftwood, jew-
elry made from shells and glass, and some
gorgeous handmade quilts using Bahamian
batik prints.
Getting There & Around
Gregory Town is midway between the
North Eleuthera and Governor’s Harbour
Airports.
Albury’s Taxi (%242-335-1370) and Wendell’s
Taxi Service (%242-333-0165) both offer guided
island tours.
GREGORY TOWN TO GOVERNOR’S
ELEUTHERA
HARBOUR
In the 25 miles between Gregory Town and
Governor’s Harbour – Eleuthera’s main
settlement – there are only two towns of
any size: Alice Town (Map pp176–7), 7 miles
south of Gregory Town and just south
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of Hatchet Bay, the former center of an
Angus cattle enterprise; and James Cistern
(Map pp176–7), a picturesque albeit wind-
battered waterfront hamlet 8 miles further
south. The Governor’s Harbour Airport is
3 miles south of James Cistern.
Waves kicked up by the various hurri-
canes have ravaged the road between Gre-
gory Town and Governor’s Harbour and
you should look out for potholes here.
The Hatchet Bay Fest in Alice Town each
August features dinghy races and partying.
Sights & Activities
Calling all surfers! Surfer’s Beach, about 2
miles south of Gregory Town has some killer
breaks rolling in from the Atlantic that you
many want to ride. This 2-mile-long, lone-
some, sugary beach lives up to its name, es-
pecially with southwest winds at low tide.
The beach is reached by a horrendously pot-
holed and rocky track from Queen’s Hwy.
The half-mile-long Hatchet Bay Cave (turn
south onto the dirt road near the three old
silos) contains several chambers, which bear
charcoal signatures dating back to the mid-
19th century. Some harmless leaf-nosed
bats reside within, as do stalactites and sta-
lagmites – no touching! Bring a flashlight
and rubber-soled shoes, as the going is slip-
pery. There’s a ladder to climb at one stage.
You can hire a guide locally.
A bone-jarring dirt road leads north
from James Cistern to James Cistern Beach,
where waves sometimes reach 10ft with a
brisk south wind. There’s a shipwreck off-
shore, which is a good spot for snorkeling
when the water is calm.
The couple who operate Surfer’s Haven
(below) also run Bahamas Out-island Adven-
tures, offering kayaking and snorkeling
excursions for $99. They offer overnight
camping trips (adult/child $299/150). Trips
can run from Nassau (for an additional
$100/50 per adult/child).
Sleeping & Eating
Surfer’s Haven (%242-333-3282; www.bahamasadven
tures.com; d/upstairs apt $50/75; pn) This pretty
blue building has sea views and is only a
five-minute walk away from Surfer’s Beach.
Guestrooms here are cosy, clean and com-
fortable and all have access to the large open-
air deck overlooking the tropical foliage and
ocean. Rooms share a bathroom, while the
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NORTH ELEUTHERA REGATTA
This brilliant three-day event, held every Oc-
tober, is one of the granddaddies of Baha-
mian sailing events and the highlight of the
Eleutheran year, when islanders with their
locally-built sloops descend for three days
of racing. Ashore the action is just as lively,
with Bahamian cooks and bands whipping
up a storm, while everyone dances and
parties hard. Special air and boat charters
depart from Nassau. Contact the Ministry
of Youth & Culture (% 242-322-3140) for
more information.
apartment is self-contained with a kitchen-
ette. Great for families.
Rainbow Inn (%/fax 242-335-0294; www.rainbowinn
.com; Queen’s Hwy; r $110; pnas) Attractive
one-, two-, or three-bedroom octagonal vil-
las have kitchenettes, ceiling fans and private
decks facing onto a beach. The peaceful little
resort has tennis courts, a small saltwater
lap pool, snorkeling, fishing, and bicycles
for hire. It also has an excellent restaurant,
Dolcevita Restaurant & Lounge (hbreakfast, lunch
& dinner Tue-Sat), furnished with varnished,
rough-hewn tables and captain’s chairs, and
serving some pretty fab Bahamian food with
a definite Italian slant. ‘Dr Seabreeze’ plays
many Wednesday and Friday nights.
Juneek’s Savoury Snacks (James Cistern) Craving
pizza? Try this place, where outdoor clay
ovens are still used. It also sells meat patties
and ice cream.
For groceries, stop at Big Rock General Store
2 miles west of James Cistern.
GOVERNOR’S HARBOUR
This sleepy and amiable island capital sur-
rounds an attractive broad harbor that is as
still as the day is long. People live quietly here,
until the Friday and Saturday Fish Fry kick
off and the goombay beats drift across the
harbor. The smell of frying chicken entices
the populace along for a beer and a bite, and
the stars shine overhead in the clear sky.
There are many faded remnants of past
glory days here. During the 19th century,
the harbor was filled with schooners ship-
ping pineapples and citrus fruits to New
York and New England, or unloading fin-
eries for the wealthy merchants and their
wives. The merchants’ well-preserved old
N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • G o v e r n o r ’ s H a r b o u r 187
white clapboard houses, many with ornate
gingerbread gable trims, nestle on the hill-
side east of Queen’s Hwy, where royal poin-
cianas blaze vermilion in spring.
Information
Bahamas Tourist Office (%242-332-2122; fax 242-
332-2480; Queen’s Hwy)
BaTelCo (%242-332-2476; Haynes Ave) Atop the hill.
There’s a telephone booth here and another on Queen’s Hwy.
First Caribbean International Bank (%242-332-
2300; Queen’s Hwy; h9:30am-3pm Mon-Thu, to 4pm
Fri) Has an ATM.
Government Medical Clinic (%242-332-2774;
Haynes Ave; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
Police station (%242-332-2111; Queen’s Hwy)
Post office (%242-332-2060; Haynes Ave; h9am-
4pm Mon-Fri)
Sights & Activities
A stroll along the harborfront passes St
Patrick’s Anglican Church and cemetery; the
historic, pink Commissioner’s Office; and the
lovely old Haynes Library (1897).
There are some beautiful little beaches
over the hill on the Atlantic shore, where
the azure seas lazily drift onto pink sands
and where you can easily while away a day
or three…
Clearwater Dive Shop (%242-332-2146; fax 242-
332-2546) in the town center offers dive and
snorkel trips.
Gladstone Petty (%242-332-2280; Queen’s Hwy)
will take you reef- and bonefishing. He has
an office downtown.
Sleeping
Laughing Bird Apartments (%242-332-2012; ddavies@
batelnet.bs; Birdie Lane; r $80; pna) These cozy
one-bedroom studio apartments sit amid
grounds full of hibiscus and palms. Each
has a lounge-cum-bedroom and separate
kitchen. Some have king-size beds. The great
plus here is that the gardens face onto the sea
and Town Beach which lie just over the road.
Lie in a hammock and listen to the wind and
wild birds.
Tuck-a-Way Hotel (%242-322-2005; fax 242-322-
2775; Graham St & Rolle Lane; r $80; pna) These
ELEUTHERA
small, dark rooms and units benefit from
their location in town, and are within walk-
ing distance of Town Beach. All come with
TV, some with kitchenettes.
Duck Inn (%242-332-2608; www.theduckinn.com;
Queen’s Hwy; d $110; pna) A 200-year-old
 188 N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • G o v e r n o r ’ s H a r b o u r www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com N O R T H E L E U T H E R A • • N o r t h & S o u t h Pa l m e t t o P o i n t 189

GOVERNOR'S HARBOUR
A B
INFORMATION
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.............1
BaTelCo.............................................2
1 First Caribbean International Bank......3
Government Medical Clinic................4
Police Station.....................................5
Post Office.........................................6
Telephone Booth............................... 7
To Airport (9mi);
North Eleuthera (32mi)
5
Queen’s Hw
y Duck Inn..........................................14
2 Highway Service Station...................25 C4
Pier
0
0
400 m
0.2 miles
sea, this small hotel is clean and comfort-
able. The main building contains some BEACH HEDONISM
C D lovely local art and a courtyard surrounds The Elusive Beaches of Eleuthera by Geoff &
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES EATING the pool. There’s also an Italian restaurant, Vicky Wells is a little handbook that these
D4 Clearwater Dive Shop........................ 8 D4 Eleuthera Supplies Ltd......................17 D4
C3 Commissioner's Office.....................(see 6) Fish Fry............................................18 A4 bar, tearoom and tennis courts. two self-described ‘beachologists’ have
D4 Gladstone Petty (Fishing Guide)......... 9 D4 Four Friends Restaurant....................19 C4 Buccaneer Club (%242-332-2000; fax 242-332- compiled with sincere devotion to the art
C3 Haynes Library..................................10 B4 New Sunset Inn................................20 D5
A2 St Patrick's Anglican Church & Pina Cafe & Deli...............................21 D3 2888; New Bourne St; r $110; pnas) On the of beach-bumming. Every beach on the
B4 Cemetery.....................................11 B4 ATLANTIC north side of town, this club has small yet island is awarded scores for ease of access,
D4 DRINKING OCEAN
SLEEPING Charly's Bar & Grill...........................22 C4 tastefully appointed rooms with sliding privacy, swimming, diving and snorkeling,
Buccaneer Club................................12
Cigatoo Resort.................................13
D3
C3 ENTERTAINMENT
glass doors opening onto a balcony. There’s and shelling. Directions and a brief descrip-
D3 Globe PrincessO Theatre.....................23 C4 a small pool and a well-tended lawn. tion of each of these little bits of paradise
Laughing Bird Apartments................15 C4 Ronnie’s IslandldHi-D-Way................24 A4 accompany the scorecards. Beg, borrow or
Q
Tuck-a-Way Hotel............................16 B4 ue
TRANSPORT n’
s
Hw
e
Eating & Drinking steal one of these books when you arrive, or
Ferry Dock.....................................(see
y 26)
Gas Station....................................(see 17)
New Sunset Inn (%242-332-2487; Queen’s Hwy; mains contact these clever people yourself; email
$10-18; lunch & dinner) This friendly seaside bar Geoff and Vicky at elusive@batelnet.bs.
Mail Boat Dock................................26 A4
and restaurant serves some of the best food
Eleuthera in town. The walls are festooned with the
Island works of local artists, and a tucked-away Getting There & Around
Hwy

bar has a widescreen TV, great rums and Please refer to p182 for flight, ferry and mail-
friendly patrons. boat information to Eleuthera and Gover-
Queen's

To Pink Sand
2 13
Beach (550yd) Pina Cafe & Deli (%242-332-3350; New Bourne St; nor’s Harbour.
mains $6-17; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) This Governor’s Harbour is served by the Gov-
4 is a cutie; an enticing little orange building ernor’s Harbour Airport, about 10 miles
3 Governor's Av
e
with a grand outdoor deck, pretty garden and north of town. Taxis from the airport to
e s
Harbour Ha
yn 14 a range of homemade goodies. Breakfasts town are $25 one-way for two people.
21
See Enlargement (from $3) and pizzas (from $6) are cheap. Many enterprising individuals act both

e
Av
Daily freshly baked cookies and homemade as taxi drivers and car-rental agencies. This
es
Queen's

yn

Ne
12
Ha

jams will also help make you happy. means that it is often easier to book a car
w
Bo
19
Four Friends Restaurant (%242-332-3488; off rental from the airport with a taxi ride to
urn
1

e S
26 17 Haynes St; mains $12-23; hdinner Mon-Sat) Satisfy the airport when you depart. Car hire costs
Hw
e

t
Av

22 8 your hunger with a grand meal of mixed from around $70 per day.
es

lle
e La

La

Ro La
yn

6 School 3
Bahamian and continental dishes such as To hire a taxi or rent a car, call:
Ha

Grah
ers

7
brok
e

a m S
Av

Pind

t Q
4 Baptist Church 16 G
rack of lamb. Monday, Wednesday and Fri- Edgar Gardiner (%242-332-266)
La

11 ue
Cole
es

riffin 9
La

en
yn

St 's
ge
Ha

10 Cemetery
day buffets are very popular; book ahead. Tommy Pinder (%242-332-2568)
die

Cupid’s 18 Hw
brid

15
y
Bir

Cay
Charly’s Bar & Grill (%242-332-3477; Queen’s Hwy; Winsett Cooper (%242-332-1592)
Cole

24 Catholic 23
Arthur’s Church
Beach Hayn 25
es A
0 50 yards
mains $7-16; hlunch & dinner) Watch for the blue
Methodist Church
ve
light outside; when it’s on, the bar is ready to NORTH & SOUTH PALMETTO POINT
open. It may not look much from the outside, There are some happy retirees living 4 miles
but you know what they say about looks. south of Governor’s Harbour. North Palmetto
Eleuthera Supplies Limited (%242-332-2728; Point enjoys a stunning 5-mile-long blushing
Q
ue
en

h6:30am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 2:30pm Sun) The local pink beach and South Palmetto Point sits on
’s
Hw

Laughing Bird
5 supermarket. a smaller beach and rocky shore with good
y

Cay 20

To
Fish Fry (Cupid’s Cay) On the dockside; starts bonefishing and snorkeling. There’s a post
Bight of Eleuthera Rock Sound
(30mi)
at 7pm Friday and Saturday, but the music office, clinic, pharmacy, grocery store and gas
kicks off a little earlier. station. Fish stalls line South Palmetto beach,
where there’s a nice, little beach bar.
Entertainment
colonial complex set amid an orchid gar- kitchens have all mod cons. An excellent Ronnie’s Island Hi-D-Way (Cupid’s Cay) A lively bar Sleeping & Eating
den, incorporating the comfortable and liquor store around the corner can supply with a pool table and wide-screen TV, plus Tropical Dreams Motel Resort (Map pp176-7; %242-
ELEUTHERA

ELEUTHERA
fully equipped Hunnie Pot, Flora and Cu- you with most of your requirements, which dancing on Friday and Saturday; don’t even 332-1632; www.bahamasvg.com/tropicaldream.html; Dry
pid’s Cottage. Worth the trip alone, Cupid’s should be consumed on the veranda at sun- think of arriving before 10pm. Hill Rd, North Palmetto Point; d per night/week $80/540;
Cottage overlooks the serene and beautiful set. Cheers! Globe Princess Theatre (%242-332-2735; Queen’s pna) These modern, clean and com-
bay waters. All three homely cottages are Cigatoo Resort (%242-332-3060; www.choicehotels Hwy; admission adult/child $5.50/3) This town-center fortable units with TV and kitchen facilities
a delight, decked with orchids, personal .com; Haynes Ave; r $100; pnas ) Sitting cinema shows movies at 8.15pm nightly, are a good mile from the beach, but are neat
knick-knacks and paperbacks, while the astride the top of a hill that overlooks the except Thursday. and a great budget option.

190 S O U T H E L E U T H E R A • • W i n d e r m e re I s l a n d
Palmetto Shores Vacation Villas (Map pp176-7;
%/fax 242-332-1305; psvacvillas@batelnet.bs; South Pal-
metto Point; r $110; pna) These modest and
pleasant apartments are perfect for couples
and have verandas that look out over a pri-
vate beach. Water sport and car rentals can
be arranged. This property was for sale at
the time of research.
Unique Village Resort Hotel (Map pp176-7;
%242-332-1830; www.uniquevillage.com; North Palmetto
Point; r $130; pnas) This small hotel of-
fers attractively furnished rooms, two two-
bedroom villas, and a one-bedroom apart-
ment, all with ocean view, full kitchen,
satellite TV and radio. There’s a pleasant
restaurant and bar with panoramic win-
dows and an outside deck, plus grassy lawns
with hammocks slung between palm trees.
Nonguests are welcome to enjoy omelettes
and fruit plates for breakfast, and Bahamian
dishes (mains $7-25), plus steaks and fresh
seafood at lunch and dinner.
Palmetto Point Lighthouse (Map pp176-7; US %/fax
561-395-0483; info@pinksandbeach.net) You can even
rent a lighthouse! This fully-appointed three-
bedroom home with king-size bed in the
master bedroom also has a sliding glass door
leading to a patio with a whirlpool. It rents
for $1400 weekly in the low season, and
$1680 in the high-season for four people.
Mate & Jenny’s Restaurant & Bar (Map pp176-7;
% 242-332-1504; South Palmetto Point; mains $8-18;
hlunch & dinner) This place has a lot of char-
acter and cooks up some yummy pizzas as
well as broiled fish and other Bahamian
dishes. A jukebox and pool table add to the
fun, as do their killer cocktails.
Tippy’s Bar & Beach Restaurant (Map pp176-7;
%242-332-3331; Banks Rd, North Palmetto Point Beach;
mains $7-25; hlunch & dinner) With a prime spot
on this gorgeous beach, Tippy’s offers up
mouth-watering roasted vegetable ravioli
and all manner of hot juicy pizzas; perfect
after a hard day of lying in the sun.
Meryl’s Bakery (North Palmetto) Buy bread and
baked goods here. It’s opposite the post of-
fice and police station.
Getting Around
ELEUTHERA
Asa Bethel (%/fax 242-332-1305; Palmetto Shores Vaca-
tion Villas, South Palmetto Point) rents cars, scooters
as well as boats, as does Arthur’s Taxi (%242-
332-2006).
For information on travel to North and
South Palmetto Point, see p182.
www.lonelyplanet.com
SOUTH ELEUTHERA
Heading along the Queen’s Hwy, the accu-
mulated effects of a series of hurricanes and
a downturn in tourism on this part of the
island are sadly all too apparent. Neverthe-
less, the beaches down here are superb and
remnants of days gone by will catch your
eye and pique your curiosity.
WINDERMERE ISLAND
The near-destitute hamlet of Savannah Sound
(Map pp176–7), which dates back to the 18th
century, enjoys roaming goats and chickens
among its tumbledown shacks and collapsed
colonial-era buildings. The sound actually is
good for bonefishing and nearby is Ten Bay
Beach (Map pp176–7), another beauty that
just calls out to you to abandon your life and
live here for ever, padding along the soft sand
and breathing in that clean sea air…
Secluded, broom-thin Windermere Is-
land boasts a pristine blush-hued beach
running the 4-mile Atlantic shore. It is
speckled with snazzy homes reflecting its
long-standing status as one of the most ex-
clusive hideaways for the rich and famous.
The chic Windermere Island Club, once
the Bahamas’ most fashionable resort, was
a favorite of Lord Mountbatten and, later,
Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Al-
though the club is closed, the beach is still
another made for fun and dreams.
The island is reached by a bridge straddling
Savannah Sound (the turnoff from Queen’s
Hwy is 2 miles south of the village).
ROCK SOUND
The road south from Savannah Sound pas-
ses Tarpum Bay, a former pineapple-trading
OCEAN HOLE
This crater-like curiosity, along Fish Rd on
the south edge of Rock Sound, is said to be
bottomless. No one knows, but it is a 100yd-
wide tidal blue hole populated by saltwater
fish that move to and fro through subter-
ranean sea tunnels. Throw some bread in
and a surge of fish will head for the surface,
taking great delight in a quick feed. Set off
a rocky edge, it is also possible to descend
some steps and hop in for a cool swim.
www.lonelyplanet.com S O U T H E L E U T H E R A • • C o t t o n B a y t o E l e u t h e r a P o i n t 191
port, now a desolate place comprising
some quaint old stone buildings, including
St Columbus Church, and beaten-up clapboard
houses. Bonefishing is good in Half Sound,
south of Winding Bay.
Rock Sound is a small, charming village
from where the original townsfolk set out on
their prime occupation – wrecking. Hence
the settlement’s early name, Wreck Sound.
There are several historic buildings of
note, plus the Ocean Hole (see boxed text, op-
posite) and, on the bay shore south of town,
the Blow Hole, which erupts like a geyser
during strong swells. Be sure to secure your
car and belongings while you’re out of sight
having a look at these natural wonders.
Rock Sound famously comes alive each
summer during the All-Eleuthera Regatta,
one of the most vibrant let-your-hair-down
affairs in the Bahamas, and the setting for
all-out dinghy races. There are few beaches
hereabouts.
Junkanoo traditionally begins at 5am on
Boxing Day (December 26), when groups
from the various settlements come together
at Rock Sound.
For emergencies contact the police (%242-
334-2244) or try the Government Medical Clinic
(%242-334-2226; h9am-1pm Mon-Fri). Scotiabank
(%242-334-2620; Queen’s Hwy; h9am-3pm Mon-Thu,
to 4pm Fri) can help with the dollars!
A little north of Tarpum Bay, Ingrahams
Beach Inn (%242-334-4066; fax 242-334-2257; Tar-
pum Bay; r/apt $80/120; pna) is a two-story
building overlooking the sea and a lovely
little beach. A gym, game room and dining
room add to the facilities of this large and
very well-maintained place. The rooms are
spotless, simple but modern, and very good
value. Car and bicycle rentals, and deep-sea
fishing can also be arranged.
The most popular restaurant in Rock
Sound is Sammy’s Place (%242-334-2121; p
na), which also has four rooms with sat-
ellite TV ($80). Everyone packs in for the
© Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
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© Lonely Planet Publications
fritters and burgers. Cheese omelettes are
grand for breakfast.
Take your pick among several down-home
eateries serving Bahamian fare. Try the Palm
Garden Restaurant & Bar or Down Home Pizza, and
the Haven Bakery (%242-334-2155). The Market-
place Supermarket is north of town, near the
Shell gas station.
For information on travel to Eleuthera
and Rock Sound, see p182.
Rock Sound Airport is 3 miles north
of town. A taxi from the airport to Rock
Sound settlement costs $14.
COTTON BAY TO ELEUTHERA POINT
Mile-long Cotton Bay, 6 miles south of Rock
Sound, is favored by wealthy expats who
own fancy villas above the shore. The homes
are part of the Cotton Bay Club. Once be-
loved by hobnobbing socialites, the club has
a troubled history and closed in 1995.
South of Cotton Bay, the island flares out
in a lopsided, inverted ‘T.’ At Wemyss Bight,
Queen’s Hwy splits. One branch leads north
10 miles to Cape Eleuthera via Davis Har-
bour and the settlement of Deep Creek; the
shore is lined by mangrove swamps. The
beach here is lovely, and you can get a grand
pizza at D & N Pizza in Davis Harbour.
The other branch heads towards Banner-
man town, where a vastly deteriorating road
and dirt track (for 4WD only) leads south
to exquisite Lighthouse Bay. Offshore reefs
and two small islands are good for snor-
keling and scuba diving, but beware strong
currents. A short trail leads up to the East
Point Lighthouse, the southernmost point of
Eleuthera.
On the Atlantic side of Eleuthera Point,
hidden away behind sand dunes, is a daz-
zlingly beautiful 6 miles of rosy-pink beach,
Lighthouse Beach, reckoned to be the best in
Eleuthera. It really doesn’t get much better
than this – bring snorkel gear, a picnic and
your soulmate.
ELEUTHERA
 © Lonely Planet Publications
THE EXUMAS 192 www.lonelyplanet.com G R E AT E X U MA • • G e o r g e T o w n 193

THE EXUMAS
EXUMAS 0
0
40 km
20 miles
It was common back then for slaves to

The Exumas 25º00'N

76º30'W 76º00'W adopt the name of their master. Today every
second person is a Rolle (locals, however,
Sail Rocks ATLANTIC have a good grip on who their blood rela-
Ship Channel Cay OCEAN tives are), and since the 1890s every Rolle
Eleuthera
has been permitted to build and farm on
Norman’s Cay Little San
Salvador common land. Rolleville and Rolle Town,
Shroud Cay the two most important historic settlements
These islands are made for those who love nothing better than taking a boat off into the on Great Exuma, are certainly worth a look.
unknown, splashing in tranquil aquamarine waters or strolling across powder-soft beaches. Warderick Wells Cay Although now claimed by bush, there are
Compass Cay Cat
decrepit forts and ruined plantations lying
The Exumas comprises 365 islands: some of the cays are tiny dots, some are barren, Exuma Island scattered around in between the farming
Staniel Cay
and others luscious and fertile. Most are uninhabited – apart from sunbathing iguanas – Sound and fishing villages.
but they all have glittering white sands and small harbors of emerald-green water. Guana Cay

E
24º00'N
Getting There & Away

x
Most travelers to Exuma fly into the small

u
This 100-mile-long necklace headed by Great Exuma and Little Exuma starts 40 miles south-

m
Exuma International Airport, 6 miles north

a
east of Nassau. George Town is the chain’s main town, on Great Exuma’s Elizabeth Harbour. Lee Stocking Island
T o n g u e of C of George Town, or take the twice-weekly
The small center is also a yachter’s haven, and one of the Bahamas’ main hubs for chartering the Ocean
a Great Exuma fast ferry from Nassau. Day trips to the cays
y
Stocking Island
boats for island-hopping. Jackie Onassis was once a regular, and the New England yachting s
George Town from Nassau on super-zippy powerboats
crowd still has a penchant for the Exumas, especially for the annual Family Island Regatta. Tropic of Cancer
Rolle Town
are also very popular. Expensive private
Little boat charters and cheaper but slow mail
Exuma
Elegant Stocking Island has fine beaches and tranquil lagoons, shelters George Town from boats round out the options.
the Atlantic and is a beach-lounger’s paradise. Those who want to follow in the fins of Jacques Great Bahama Nobush Cay
The Ettienne & Cephas (from $50 for shorter trips,
Cousteau can revel in the fish that flicker past pristine reefs, wrecks and blue holes, especially Bank
Jumento round-trip $140, 21hrs) mail boat departs Nas-
23º00'N
Cays
sau on Tuesday for Staniel Cay, Farmer’s
in the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park, which protects birds, marine life and the endemic iguanas. Water Cay
Cay, Black Point, Little Farmer’s Cay and
Kayakers love these waters shared with dolphins, sharks and the occasional whale. Flamingo Cay Barreterre. Contact the Dockmaster’s Office
(%242-393-1064) at Potter’s Cay in Nassau
The vast flats west and south of the Exumas are bonefish habitat supreme, and great Jamaica Cay
for further details.

Ragged I s
fishing lodges and friendly operators can be found in George and Rolle Towns. Seal Cay

22º30'N
Nurse Cay
Getting Around
You’ll need your own transport if you

la
Raccoon Cay
want to explore the islands outside George

nd
HIGHLIGHTS Town’s immediate vicinity; rental agencies

Ra
Hog Cay
Ragged Island
can be found at the airport. Affordable and

ng
! Splashing around in the jeweled waters of Duncan Little Ragged

e
the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park (p204),
Town Island
more upmarket boats are also available for
great for kayaking, sunning and snorkeling hire in George Town.
Exuma Cays
Land & Sea History
! Hightailing it to the billowing sails and noisy

exuberance of George Town’s Family Island
Regatta (p197), where boats and spirits fly
! Hitching a ride to Stocking Island (p200) to
sip a mango daiquiri in the warm shallows of
an emerald bay
! Picnicking and splashing around in the sea with the
friendly swimming pigs of Major Cay (p206)
! Hiring a houseboat (p198) and mooring in beautiful
lagoons and off deserted beaches for blissful peace and
seclusion
! TELEPHONE CODE: 242 ! POPULATION: 3539
GREAT EXUMA
Park
During the 17th century, many residents
of New Providence settled Great Exuma to
escape ruthless buccaneers, and made a liv-
Major Cay ing as salt rakers. The main island in the chain, Great Exuma
Following the American Revolution, Loy- is the starting point for most people ex-
alists under Lord Denys Rolle arrived with ploring the islands, and where boaters and
140 slaves aboard a ship named the Peace yachties will call in for their supplies or to
& Plenty. Granted 7000 acres on which to pick up mail.
plant cotton, Rolle’s plantations blossomed
Stocking
Island until the chenille bug chewed through the GEORGE TOWN
cotton crop. The salt industry also evapo- pop 1071
George Town
rated, done in by more profitable operations George Town feels less like a convivial town
on neighboring islands. In 1834, the year of in which to stay for a while, and more like
emancipation, most Whites uprooted and a place to stock up on supplies, which is
! AREA: 121 SQ MILES
left, while the newly freed slaves stayed and exactly what most visitors do, before head-
took over Rolle’s land. ing off to explore the hundreds of gorgeous
THE EXUMAS 194 G R E AT E X U MA • • G e o r g e T o w n www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G R E AT E X U MA • • G e o r g e T o w n 195

THE EXUMAS
GREAT & LITTLE EXUMA 0
0
10 km
6 miles
ministration Building, along with the police
(%242-336-2666, 919; Queen’s Hwy). There is also
A B C D E F a Government Medical Clinic (%242-336-2088;
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES SLEEPING EATING
Queen’s Hwy).
Doric Pillar..........................................1 F4 Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Bullard's Supplies............................(see 17)
1 16
Exuma Scuba Adventures...................2 D3
Hermitage Estate............................(see 17)
Emerald Bay....................................4
Higgins Landing.................................5
B2
D3
Chat'n Chill Bar & Grill.....................11 D3
Cheater’s Restaurant & Bar.............. 12 D4
1 Sights
Barreterre St Christopher’s Anglican Church........3 E4 Mt Pleasant Suites Hotel....................6 C3 Fish Fry............................................13 D3 A few buildings are of interest. St Andrew’s
Palm Bay Beach Club..........................7
Palms at Three Sisters.........................8
C3
B2
Iva Bowe’s Central Highway Inn
Restaurant & Bar...........................14 C2
Anglican Church (1802) gleams whitely on
Rolleville Peace & Plenty Beach Inn...................9 C3 Kermit’s Hilltop Tavern.....................15 A1
23º40'N
a hill above Lake Victoria, and opens for
15 Peace & Plenty Bonefish Lodge.........10 E4 McKenzie's Grocery..........................16 A1
Mom's Bakery..................................17 F4 Sunday services (it’s well worth the stroll to
Qu
ee
Peace & Plenty Beach Club..............18 D3 peek at the gravestones out back).
Stuart Manor n's Rennie's.........................................(see 13)
Hwy
Traveller's Rest Restaurant & Bar..... 19 D4 The pink and white neoclassical Govern-
Steventon
ment Administration Building (%242-336-2600;
DRINKING
Roker’s Point 4
Big Z Sports Bar..............................(see 13) Queen’s Hwy; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) accommodates
2 Farmer’s Hill Porgy's Place..................................(see 13) 2 everything: the post office, police station,
Tino's.............................................(see 13)
Great Exuma Exuma Sound customs and immigration, Ministry of Edu-
Mt Thompson
8
TRANSPORT
Don's Rent a Car..............................20 C3
cation, magistrates’ court and jail.
Three Sisters
Forest Rock Gas Station.......................................21 C3 Regatta Park is a scruffy piece of land in
Ramsey
14 the center of George Town that fills with
21
Exuma
International 20 market stalls and partygoers during the an-
Airport
Moss Town nual regatta. The rest of the year, the park
Powder
Stingray Reef is home to a beaten-up old boat, The Patsy,
Hermitage
Great Bahama Bank Beach Stocking I which last raced in 1953.
3 6
7
18
11 Mystery Cave
3 The Straw Market (h9am-5pm) sits on the
2
Tropic of Cancer
9 13 ferry
5
Elizabeth I Tropic of Cancer
edge of Regatta Park and sells a small range
George Town
Rolle Cay Guana Cay of straw bags and hats, some T-shirts and
Crab Cays
beachwear.
Crab Cay

12
Blue Hole
19
Pretty Molly
Activities
Rolle
Town 10
Beach This is an excellent area for all water sports,
Ferry Forbes Tropic of
Hill Cancer especially boating of any kind, even for am-
Beach
3
1
ateurs. Don’t forget you can hire boats for
4 Bowe 4
Cay Williams Town
17
exploring the wonderful Exuma Cays Land
& Sea Park, see p200 for details.
Hog
Northwest Providence Channel Little Exuma Cay
DIVING & SNORKELING
76º00'W 75º50'W 75º40'W
The Exumas are replete with some fantastic
snorkel and dive sites, including spectacular
cays and islands that make up this island that you cross the Tropic of Cancer, which Information blue holes and caves, many of which have
chain. Queen’s Hwy circles through town runs through town. The event of the year The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-336- safety lines. Jacques Cousteau loved these
in one direction, leading past the shores of is April’s Family Island Regatta, consid- 2430; www.bahamas.com; Queen’s Hwy) sits above sites, so it is a fair bet that you will too!
Lake Victoria and along the elegant length ered one of the Bahamas’ best. Hundreds of Sam Grey’s business on Queen’s Hwy. For great snorkel sites head for the
of Stocking Island, and into a conclave islanders still make the annual pilgrimage Scotiabank (%242-336-2651; Queen’s Hwy) is the schools of small and vibrant fish around
of a few stores, bank, cafés and dwellings to George Town’s Elizabeth Harbour for town’s one bank. Bird Cay; the odd-shaped Duck Cay North; Duck
that comprise George Town’s small, dusty this event, for which boatbuilders proudly For all shopping needs and some good Cay South, a tiered reef that looks like an
center. ship in their handmade dinghies from other quality fruit and veg, head for the multifa- underwater wedding cake; and the shallow
Government Wharf is the focal point of islands aboard the mail boats. During the ceted Exuma Markets (%242-336-2033; fax 242- reefs of the Three Sisters.
most action, where townsfolk gather when regatta, the town is transformed into an 336-2645; Queen’s Hwy, George Town), which also has Harbour Buoy Portside is a very active reef
the mail boat calls, fisherfolk return with outdoor party venue. a fax and phone message service, and acts with lots of marine life, as is Jolly Hall, a
their glistening catch and a myriad of visi- Victoria Lake is connected to Elizabeth as an informal ‘mail restante.’ favored hatchery for grunts and yellowtail
tors’ boats are always on the move. Harbour by a 50yd-long channel. In the Exuma Web Cafe (%242-336-2562; Queen’s Hwy, snapper. Loaded Barrel Reef has plenty of fish
A night or two here will introduce you to 1800s the British Navy used Elizabeth Har- George Town; h8am-7:30pm Mon-Sat, 4:30-7:30pm Sun) species inhabiting its wide seabeds, as well
some friendly locals, who will eagerly de- bour and Lake Victoria for refitting war- charges around $10/18 per half-hour/hour. as staghorn coral. Harbour Buoy Starboard is
scribe the amazing caverns and blue holes ships. The US Navy also had a small base The post office (%242-347-3546; Queen’s Hwy) home to large brain corals, as are the shal-
in the surrounding waters, as well as ensure here during WWII. is based at the big pink Government Ad- low reefs of Liz Lee Shoals.
THE EXUMAS 196 G R E AT E X U MA • • G e o r g e T o w n
GEORGE TOWN
A Qu
ee
n's
To Minn's Cottages
(0.6mi);
Hw
y
Hermitage (5mi)
1 5
Lake Victoria
2 6
17
4 Basketball
3 INFORMATION
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.............1 C2
BaTelCo..............................................2 B3
Customs...........................................(see 7)
Exuma Markets..................................3 C2
Exuma Web Cafe................................4 B3
Government Medical Clinic.................5 B1
Immigration.....................................(see 7)
Police...............................................(see 7)
Post Office.......................................(see 7)
Scotiabank.........................................6 C2
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Exuma Scuba Adventures...............(see 14)
4 Government Administration Building..7 C1
Minn’s Watersports.............................8 B1
Regatta Park.......................................9 C1
St Andrews Anglican Church.............10 B1
Starfish.............................................11 C2
Straw Market....................................12 C1
There are some fabulous dive sites, and
one of the easiest is Stingray Reef (Map
pp194–5), where shallow waters are full of
snapper, angelfish, grunts and stingrays.
Experienced daredevils may wish to try
the Angelfish Blue Hole, a vertical shaft which
starts at 30ft below the surface and falls to
90ft before leveling into a network of caves
full of soft sponges and schooling angelfish.
Another deep orifice, Crab Cay Blue Hole (Map
pp194–5) is a 40ft-wide crevasse up to 90ft
deep, with archways inhabited by lobsters,
snappers and stingrays.
South of Stocking Island, access to Mys-
tery Cave (p200) begins at 15ft below the
surface and drops to 100ft, and is another
one for the experienced.
www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G R E AT E X U MA • • G e o r g e T o w n 197
THE EXUMAS
0
0
200 m
0.1 miles
KAYAKING will jump for joy (quietly!) on the follow-
Starfish (%242-336-3033; www.kayakbahamas.com; ing islands that contain national bird re-
B Elizabeth Harbour C Island
D Queen’s Hwy, George Town) present a variety of ac- serves: Big Galliot, Channel and Flat Cays,
cking
to Sto
26 Ferry tivities, including four-hour guided kayak Big and Little Darby Islands, and Guana,
14
7
Government trips ($60), Castaway Getaways trips ($125), Goat, Betty, Pigeon, Cistern, Leaf, Harvey
Wharf
10 24
which drop you off at a suitably remote spot and Rocks Cays.
19
with a two-person kayak, and three-hour
8 Library
12
13
15
guided Eco Boat tours (adult/child $55/44). Tours
16 9 Adventure packages start from $299 for For an introduction to local plants and
25
22 11
Kidd Cove three days, and include lodgings, kayak/ herbs, along with information on their uses,
21
bicycle hire, airport transfers and island join up with Bush Medicine Tours (%242-345-
tours. Kayaks can be hired for $40 per day, 7044; prices upon booking, from around $35). You’ll
snorkel gear is $15 per day and camping learn about remedies for all sorts of ail-
Hwy
gear (without sleeping bags) is $60 per day. ments, from burns to menstrual cramps
Weekly rates are available on all rentals. and even infertility.
's
een
3
Qu
1
20 BONEFISHING & SPORTFISHING Festivals & Events
St John’s
There are some excellent bonefishing guides For information on the following festivals
Baptist Church 23 in the area, who can be contacted via the and other events contact the helpful staff of
18 Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (p195), with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (p195).
average rates of about $300 per half-day or Family Island Regatta During the last week of April,
Court
$400 to $500 per day. Cooper’s Charter Serv- visiting yachts congregate for this annual regatta in
2 ice (%242-336-2711) and the Peace & Plenty Elizabeth Harbour (see the boxed text, below). The premier
Bonefish Lodge (p202), around 3 miles regatta in the Bahamian islands, it’s a general excuse for
south of Rolle Town, are renowned for their the hoi polloi to hobnob with the social elite, downing
great guides. Bandits Bonefishing Lodge & Pi- copious amounts of rum and beer and cheering on the
To Rolle Town (7mi)
rate’s Den (%242-358-8062; info@banditsbonefishing sailboats whizzing along in the harbor.
.com) offers angling ($400 per day) and has Annual Bahamas Bonefish Bonanza One of the
SLEEPING
Bahama Houseboats.........................13 D1 accommodation/fishing packages including Bahamas’ prime fishing tourneys, held in George Town
Club Peace & Plenty.........................14 C1
Ocean View Realty..........................(see 6)
3 nights/2 days of fishing for $1450. in October.
Regatta Point...................................15 D1 Junkanoo Traditionally starts at 3am on December 26
Two Turtles Inn................................16 C1 BIRD-WATCHING (Boxing Day). The colorful and noisy festival builds beneath
EATING TRANSPORT It is not only the marine parks that are the stars as islanders take to the streets for an outpouring
Eddy’s Edgewater Club.....................17
Gemellie's Pizza................................18
B2
B3
Gas Station.......................................22
Gas Station.......................................23
C2
C2
fabulous for living creatures. Bird-fanciers of bonhomie and carnivale.
Jean's Dog House.............................19 C1 Mail-Boat Dock................................24 D1
Sam’s Place......................................20 C2 Prestige Scooter Rental.....................25 C1
Towne Café & Bakery......................21 C2 Stocking Island Ferry.........................26 C1
FAMILY ISLAND REGATTA
The wildly festive, four-day Family Island Regatta has been held every April since 1953. The party
You can either go it alone, or take kayak- really gets going the week before the regatta, when breweries and rum companies sponsor a
ing and snorkeling trips with guides. For host of daft and fun events as a buildup to the main event.
off-island adventure ideas and rates, contact Around 50 Bahamian sailing vessels, all locally made and crewed, race in Elizabeth Harbour,
Captain Steven Cole (%242-554-2768) directly or and everyone within miles – landlubbers, yachties and far-flung Bahamians – arrives to cheer
through Minns Water Sports (p200). on the sloops. The boats race along with their tall sails billowing, spilling the odd drunken crew
Exuma Scuba Adventures (%242-336-2893; www member as they go. For the islands’ boatbuilders, it is a chance to see their lovingly-built vessels
.dive-exuma.com; Club Peace & Plenty, Queen’s Hwy) prof- prove their master’s craft.
fer two-tank dives ($75), one-tank night Races are divided into five classes, including a junior class for youngsters. A hallmark of the
dives ($60) and three-tank dives including races is the ‘pry,’ a long wooden plank jutting from the side of each dinghy and sloop. The crew –
lunch on a deserted cay ($150). Snorkeling often as many as six or seven people – put their weight on it to keep the boat balanced as it
trips start at $25/10 per adult/child and gear- zips along, typically in a stiff 30-knot breeze. Knowledge of the winds, currents and boat-handling
hire is also available ($25). An all-day snor- is essential to winning.
kel trip with lunch on a deserted cay is $90. The celebrated regatta is also an excuse for a party; sound systems are tweaked up and ac-
Peace & Plenty Beach Club (%242-336-2551; companied by a colorful and raucous Junkanoo band, while stalls sell cracked conch and fried
www.peaceandplenty.com; Stocking Island) will rent chicken. Everyone chatters while they sip their favorite brew in the sunshine. The dancing starts
snorkel gear ($15 per day) and sailboards as dusk falls, and the night’s festivities begin…
($15/30 per half-day/day) to day-trippers.
THE EXUMAS 198 G R E AT E X U MA • • G e o r g e T o w n
Sleeping
Accommodation can be overpriced here. For
good value your best bet is self-contained
units or suites that start at around $130 per
night. Check ahead, a few places ask up to
$30 per day on top of the nightly rate for a
variety of things such as cleaning.
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (www.bahamas
.com) can help with details on guesthouses
around the Exumas, or contact Ocean View
Realty (%/fax 242-336-2443; Queen’s Hwy).
Reserve lodgings well in advance at re-
gatta time, as chances for last-minute ac-
commodations are nil.
Bahama Houseboats (%242-336-2628; www.baha
mahouseboats.com; George Town; a) Sleeping under
the stars while moored on an uninhabited cay
and surrounded by emerald seas; now that
is a dream! Good little kitchens, as well as
roof sundecks and comfortable furnishings
make this a thoroughly enjoyable getaway-
from-it-all option. Bathrooms have showers
and flushing toilets, and there is also air-con
and a fridge, microwave, toaster, coffee ma-
chine and barbecue. The boats come fully
equipped with all linen and kitchenware.
All you need to provide is food and your
beverage of choice. This dream is an afford-
able reality, with 35ft one-bed houseboats
(sleeping up to six people on convertible
furniture) hiring at $315/1895 per night/
week, and 43ft two-bed houseboats for
$430/2600 per night/week. Rates drop out-
side of peak months.
Two Turtles Inn (%242-336-2545, www.exumaba
hamas.com/twoturtles.html; George Town; r $115; na)
This renovated stone-and-timber lodge has
14 spacious and modern-style rooms with
tiled floors, satellite TV and fresh furnish-
ings. Some units come with small kitchen-
ettes. A small on-site restaurant and patio-bar
serves daily specials such as aromatic goat
curry. Boats, scooters and dive equipment
can also be hired through their offices.
Minns Cottages (%/fax 242-336-2033/2645; Queen’s
Hwy; r $135; pna) Book ahead for these
pristine, fully equipped and tasteful units just
north of George Town. There are spacious
modern rooms and facilities including an en-
closed patio facing the sea (albeit from across
the main road). The kitchens have coffee-
makers, microwaves, ovens and fridges. The
water is the only drawback, with a sulphuric
smell and taste that declares its ecologically
sound origins a little too brutally.
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Regatta Point (%242-336-2206; www.regattapoint
bahamas.com; Regatta Point; d $148; pna) The
fabulous 360-degree sea views are well
matched by spacious and classy waterfront
units and apartments housed in an old
plantation-style building. Boats can also be
hired here ($80 per day).
Club Peace & Plenty (%242-336-2551; www.peace
andplenty.com; Elizabeth Harbour; r $160; pnas)
The rooms at this small hotel are modern
if a little small and boxy. However, they
are also cheerful and include a TV and bal-
cony, and face either the small oval-shaped
pool or Stocking Island. The staff are very
friendly and helpful, and offer scuba diving
and fishing by arrangement; snorkel gear
and sailboards can be rented from Peace &
Plenty Beach Club on Stocking Island.
Eating & Drinking
Jean’s Dog House (mains $3-6; hbreakfast & lunch) A
local institution, Jean serves great breakfast
sandwiches, hotdogs and burgers from a
converted school bus that parks at the town
end of schoolhouse hill on weekdays.
Sam’s Place (%242-336-2579; upstairs at the Gov-
ernment Wharf; mains $5-9; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner)
A steady stream of people go up and down
these stairs all day long. This is the best
takeout in town, serving breakfast dishes,
burgers, chicken and salads. The hot sand-
wiches are a meal in themselves; the tuna
and cheese is yummy and filling.
Towne Café & Bakery (%242-336-2194; Queen’s
Hwy, George Town; mains $5-9; hbreakfast & lunch, closed
Tue & Sun) This is the place for a Bahamian
breakfast of boil’ fish with onions and hot
peppers, tuna-fish salad, or chicken souse
with grits or mildly spiced johnnycake. Daily
lunch specials include a great fried snapper.
Eddy’s Edgewater Club (%242-336-2050; Queen’s
Hwy; mains $8-15; hlunch & dinner) On the south
side of Lake Victoria, this friendly and in-
formal restaurant and bar is known for the
splendid Bahamian fare, such as steamed
chicken, sautéed liver and onions, and a wor-
thy pea soup with dumplings. Don’t miss the
rake ’n’ scrape band, it pulls ’em in and every-
one works up a sweat on the dance floor. Live
music is normally on Saturday and Monday,
although the bar is open nightly.
Gemellies Pizza (% 242-3336-3023; mains $8-
15; Queen’s Hwy, George Town; hdinner) For those
crying for some relief from fried fish and
chicken dishes, obtain a takeout pizza here!
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Mind you, they also serve, yup, fried fish
and chicken.
Two Turtles Inn restaurant (%242-336-2545, www
.exumabahamas.com/twoturtles.html; George Town; mains
$10-18; hlunch & dinner) The air-con restaurant
at Two Turtles Inn (opposite) is normally
open for lunch and dinner daily; but call
ahead, it does depend upon who’s around.
Schoolchildren get their hot lunches from
here. This place is also hopping during the
regatta frivolities.
Club Peace & Plenty (% 242-336-2551; www
.peaceandplenty.com; Elizabeth Harbour; mains $12-30;
hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) Breakfasts are good
value and tasty while lunch and dinner are
also popular, if not as good value. The menu
includes dishes such as blackened mahimahi
and baked chicken. Weekends in the tourist
seasons bring live music and fun at the bar.
A choice of groceries and household
goods can be found at the Exuma Markets
(p195) in the town center, which opens daily
from 8am to 5pm. The Fish Fry area (see
p201), just north of George Town has great
heaps of little eateries and is worth a visit.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Exuma International Airport is based at
Moss Town, 6 miles north of George Town.
For international flights to the Exumas and
the Bahamas, please refer to p288.
These Bahamian airlines both fly between
Nassau and Exuma International Airport.
Bahamasair (UP; Exuma International Airport %242-
345-0035, Nassau %242-377-5505; www.bahamasair
.com; hub Nassau) Flies between Nassau and George Town
twice daily ($80 one-way).
Southern Air (Nassau %242-377-2014; www.southern
aircharter.com; hub Nassau) Flies to Moss Town twice
weekly from Nassau ($70 one-way) and between the
Exumas and Long Island.
Quoted rates fares are one-way.
Route Price Frequency
Exumas International Airport – $80 3 daily
Nassau
Exumas International Airport – $60 2 weekly
Deadmans Cay, Long Island
BOAT
If traveling in your own boat, George Town
is the official port of entry to the Exumas.
G R E AT E X U MA • • G e o r g e T o w n 199
THE EXUMAS
You’ll need to call ahead to arrange clearance
with Customs (%242-345-0071) and Immigration
(%242-345-2569), both in the Government
Administration Building on Queen’s Hwy.
You will also require a special sailing license
for traveling around the islands.
Ferry
Bahamas Ferries (%242-323-2166; www.bahamas
ferries.com) travel every Monday and Wednes-
day from Nassau to George Town (adult/
child $90/50 one-way, 11 hours).
Mail Boat
Call the Dockmaster’s Office (%242-393-1064) at
Potter’s Cay in Nassau to confirm schedules,
and for more contact and fare details.
Grand Master (%242-393-1064) Departs Nassau for
George Town (one-way $45/22.50 per adult/child, 12
hours) at 2pm Tuesday.
Sea Link (%242-393-7457) Departs Nassau for George
Town (one-way $50/30 per adult/child, 10 hours) at 7pm
on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Day Trips from Nassau
The following trips depart from Nassau,
and are very popular:
Powerboat Adventures (%242-393-7116; www
.powerboatadventures.com; Nassau, New Providence; adult/
child $190/130) offers a thrilling ride from Nas-
sau as a powerboat zips you to Allan’s Cays
for snorkeling, then on to Ship Channel
Cay for a nature hike and barbecue lunch
on the beach.
Island World Adventures (%242-363-3333; www
.islandworldadventures.com; Nassau, New Providence;
adult/child $175/120) offers daylong excursions
on a high-powered speedboat from Para-
dise Island to Saddleback Cay’s wonderful
snorkeling and seven private beaches. Trips
include lunch, an open bar, snorkeling gear
and a stop at Leaf Cay.
Getting Around
Taxis await the arrival of flights and charge
$28 to George Town. Two good car-rental
agencies are also based at the airport.
BICYCLE, MOTORCYCLE & CAR HIRE
You will need your own transport if you
want to explore the island outside George
Town’s immediate vicinity.
Don’s Rent A Car (%242-345-0112; Exuma Interna-
tional Airport; h7am-5pm Mon-Sun) rents excellent
air-con vehicles from $65 per day.
THE EXUMAS 200 G R E AT E X U MA • • S t o c k i n g I s l a n d & R o l l e C a y
Uptown Rent-a-Car (%242-336-2822; uptownrent@
hotmail.com; George Town) has cars to rent from
around $70 per day.
Prestige Scooter Rental (%242-357-0066; Queen’s
Hwy, George Town) rents scooters from about
$50 per day.
Starfish (p197) has bicycles for hire
($20/25 per half-day/day, inclusive of locks
and helmets).
BOAT
To explore around the cays and Exuma
Cays Land & Sea Park, you will need a boat
of some kind. Some lodgings provide boats
for hire, but the rates offered by Minns Water
Sports (%242-336-3483; info@mwsboats.com; George
Town) are especially good. It rents out boats
from $45/70 per half-day/day, but the rates
are reduced for bookings over three days.
The boats vary in size from 15ft to 22ft, and
cash deposits are required.
BUS
Buses depart from and return to George
Town daily via Emerald Bay ($3) and Rol-
leville ($5). Ask at the Bahamas Ministry of
Tourism for a bus schedule.
FERRY
Ferries to Stocking Island depart the dock at
Club Peace & Plenty (%242-393-1064; round-trip $8,
free for guests) at 10:30am and 1:30pm.
TAXI
Luther Rolle Taxis (%242-345-5003) and Leslie
Dames (%242-357-0015) both run taxi services
around the island.
STOCKING ISLAND & ROLLE CAY
Stocking Island is a 600-acre, pencil-thin
island lined with beaches, about a mile off-
shore. It’s rimmed by talcum-powder fine
beaches and makes a fabulous day trip from
George Town.
The best snorkel spots are located at the
cuts between Stocking Island and Elizabeth
Island and between Elizabeth Island and
Guana Cay.
Rolle Cay is a smidgen-size isle midway
between George Town and Stocking Island.
Mystery Cave is a 400ft-deep blue hole on
the Atlantic side and is said to be one of the
few living intertidal stromatolite reefs in the
world (the other major one is near Perth,
Australia); a living fossil – dating back 3½
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million years. Highborne Cay stromatolites
are now being researched (see p203).
Peace & Plenty Beach Club (see below)
will rent snorkel gear ($15 per day) and
sailboards ($15/30 per half-day/day) to
day-trippers as well as small sailboats and
paddleboats ($25 per half-day).
The environmentally friendly Higgins’ Land-
ing (%242-336-2460; www.higginslanding.com; Stocking
Island; r $550; na) is the only accommodation
on Stocking Island. Solar-powered and hand-
somely appointed cottages have comfortable
furnishings and an informal ambience. Step-
ped down a small outcrop overlooking the
sea, each cottage has a wide balcony and
fantastic views. A bar and restaurant on
the grounds stocks books and games. Rates
include breakfast and dinner, transfers and
water sports.
A spirited and affable outdoor bar, Chat
n Chill Bar & Grill (%242-336-2800; Stocking Island;
mains $6-11; hlunch & dinner) sits on the island’s
main beach and right at the water’s edge,
with customers’ small boats and kayaks lined
up alongside, their version of the pub ‘car
park.’ The bar specialize in yummy mango,
strawberry and banana daiquiris and really
tasty grilled food. Chat n Chill’s Sunday pig
roast ($15) is one of the social highlights in
George Town; call for pick up from Club
Peace & Plenty dock, and rejoice in the per-
fect beach bar!
A talented cook has been making world-
famous burgers for decades at Peace & Plenty
Beach Club (%242-336-2551; Stocking Island; mains
$6-12; hlunch) that both locals and traveling
yachties return for again and again.
There are no roads on the island and ac-
cess is by boat. Ferries to Stocking Island
depart from the Club Peace & Plenty dock
(%242-393-1064; round-trip $8, free for
guests; h10:30am & 1:30pm) on Elizabeth
Harbour.
NORTH OF GEORGE TOWN
Queen’s Hwy runs north of George Town
through a string of small settlements with
prim homes painted in Caribbean pastels
and shaded by palms. Most are associated
with plantation estates that now lie in ruins.
Beautiful beaches line the shore.
A mile offshore opposite Mt Thompson
sits Three Sisters Rock, a trio of craggy boul-
ders rising from the sea. They’re supposedly
named for three sisters who each drowned
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herself here for the shame of bearing a child
out of wedlock.
The historic settlement of Rolleville, 28
miles north of George Town, sits atop a hill
at the northern end of Great Exuma. It’s a
poor village with many meager shacks and
former slave homes, most in tumbledown
condition, but it’s brightened in late spring
and early summer by African Flame Trees.
The hamlet is the site of the Rolleville Re-
gatta, held the first Monday in August. Sev-
eral locals still make boats.
Sleeping
Palms at Three Sisters (%242-358-4040, 800-688-
4752; fax 242-358-4043; Mt Thompson; r $100; pna)
This motel-style accommodations is a tad
weary, but looks over a deserted, palm-lined
beach in Mt Thompson. It has 12 large, air-
con beachfront rooms and two cottages, all
modestly but nicely furnished, with patios
or balconies and satellite TV.
Mount Pleasant Suites Hotel (%242-336-2690;
fax 242-336-2964; Hooper’s Bay; s/d $85/100; pna)
These pristine and comfortably furnished
units are excellent value, but lie 3 miles out
of George Town, and there are no adjacent
facilities. However, the units’ balconies or
patios overlook that glorious sea, and it
is a 5-minute walk to the beach. A fully
equipped kitchen, and satellite TV make
this a popular holiday option. Book ahead
by fax or writing to: PO Box EX-29019,
George Town, Exumas.
Peace & Plenty Beach Inn (%242-336-2250; www
.peaceandplenty.com; George Town; r $170; pnas)
The rooms here are decidedly upmarket
from those at its sibling, Club Peace &
Plenty. The fresh and airy decor includes
Italian tile floors, comfortable furniture and
a private balcony in each room. An on-site
bar hangs dreamily over the water, while its
adjacent popular restaurant serves Baha-
mian and continental dishes (mains $18 to
$35). Some water sports available for guests
include scuba diving, snorkeling and Sunfish
sailing. It’s 1.5 miles from George Town.
Palm Bay Beach Club (%242-336-2787; www.palm
baybeachclub.com; Queen’s Hwy; r $170; pnas)
This intimate place sits on a small beach
and offers some fun at the weekends.
Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald
Bay (% 242-336-6989; www.emeraldbayresort.com;
Queen’s Hwy, Roker’s Point; r $400-550; pna
is) This exclusive resort is a little iso-
G R E AT E X U MA • • N o r t h o f G e o r g e T o w n 201
THE EXUMAS
lated, but centers on a championship golf
course designed by Greg Norman, and a
dedicated kids’ facility and pool will give
mom and dad some long-desired peace.
The resort complex features vacation town-
house rentals and beachfront villas, all in
plantation-style architecture, plus gourmet
restaurants, a health and fitness club, and
a full-service marina. A great beach, two
oceanside pools and complimentary snor-
keling, sailing, kayaking and sailboarding
should keep everyone happy.
Eating & Drinking
There are a few bars up this way that serve
food.
Iva Bowe’s Central Highway Inn Restaurant &
Bar (%242-345-7014; Queen’s Hwy, Ramsey; mains $8-25;
hlunch & dinner Mon-Sat) Iva and her sons also
run the adjacent gas station, but Iva is rightly
more famous for her Bahamian seafood and
shrimp dishes. Breakfast may also be avail-
able, depending on who is around.
Kermit’s Hilltop Tavern (%242-345-6006; Queen’s
Hwy, Rolleville; mains $8-25; hlunch & dinner) This
lively and popular bar has been going since
the 1950s and is beloved of locals seeking
good, authentic Bahamian dishes, curried
mutton and fresh vegetables. Reservations
are required for dinner. A seat at one of
the rooftop tables with a marvelous view
makes it well worth the drive. The tavern
has open-air dancing and live music on
weekends.
The Fish Fry area, down from Peace &
Plenty Beach Inn, has a plethora of great
little outdoor bars and takeouts housed in
multicolored wooden huts that open at sun-
set and weekends until late. Rennie’s (%5336
2300; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) makes wonderful
banana, potato and corn bread, while Porgy’s
Place has a wide wooden deck perfect for sip-
ping your sundowner beer. Tino’s pulsates to
the gentle rhythm of reggae and is a popular
hangout of the local lads, while the Big Z
Sports Bar has a lively mixed crowd and turns
the reggae up a notch on a Friday night.
You can buy goods at McKenzie’s grocery
store in Barreterre.
Check in at Palm Bay Beach Club (see left)
for some fun and music at the weekends.
Getting There & Around
There’s a gas station opposite Iva Bowe’s
Central Hwy Inn (above) near Ramsey.
THE EXUMAS 202 L I T T L E E X U MA • • Fe r r y t o W i l l i a m s T o w n
Ettienne & Cephas (around $50 for shorter trips,
round-trip $140; 21hrs) mail boat departs Nas-
sau on Tuesday for Staniel Cay, Farmer’s
Cay, Black Point, Little Farmer’s Cay and
Barreterre.
Kermit Rolle (%242-345-6006) of Rolleville of-
fers taxi tours.
Check with the Bahamas Ministry of Tour-
ism (%242-336-2430, www.bahamas.com; Queen’s Hwy,
George Town) for private minibus services.
SOUTH OF GEORGE TOWN
Follow the scenic views along Queen’s Hwy
until you reach Rolle Town (population 280).
Despite its ramshackle appearance, the vil-
lage, which produces fruit and vegetable
crops (including onions, mangoes and ba-
nanas), is worth a stop to buy some fresh
fruit as well as to see the fabulous view from
its hillside setting.
Many of the decrepit sun-bleached pastel
buildings and clapboard shacks date back
over a century and have withstood storms
and hurricanes. Goats graze freely and
chickens roam with their broods in neat
little fluffy lines alongside the road.
Try not to miss visiting a very evocative
piece of local history at the Rolle Town
Tombs. Here lie a few solitary 18th-century
tombstones, one of which is shaped like a
double bed with headboard and footboard
and dated 1792. The plaque notes that the 26-
year-old wife of a Scottish overseer, Captain
Alexander McKay, slumbers there with her
infant child. The poor man died the follow-
ing year, said to be from a broken heart.
The Peace & Plenty Bonefish Lodge
(below) is a well-known boy’s club and
carries a high reputation as one of the best
fishing lodges in the Bahamas. It charges
from $400 to $500 per day with boat, guide
and tackle for two. The hotel has an in-
tensive seven-day ‘bonefish school’ package
each April and November, with 16 hours of
instruction over four days. It’s billed as ‘the
ultimate fly-fishing school challenge.’
Sleeping & Eating
Peace & Plenty Bonefish Lodge (%242-345-5555;
www.ppbonefishlodge.net; Queen’s Hwy; d $252; mains $20-
35; pna) Around 3 miles south of Rolle
Town, this small attractive lodge overlooks
the sea and a small beach. It is comfortable,
friendly and beloved of fishing fans. A great
bar is garnished with a rogue’s gallery of
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photos from successful fishing trips, while
the restaurant will serve your catch, as well
as seafood and steaks for dinner.
Cheaters Restaurant & Bar (%242-336-2535;
Queen’s Hwy, South George Town; mains $8-25; hlunch &
dinner Wed-Sat) Local fare served at this simple
eatery draws a friendly Bahamian crowd.
The air-con room is shady and refreshing,
and the simple decor is a little sparse, but
clean and certainly adequate for the yummy
sides of peas and rice, coleslaw and maca-
roni (which alone makes it worth the trip).
The bar livens up at night, but be warned: it
is a fair drive from most lodgings.
Traveller’s Rest Restaurant & Bar (Queen’s Hwy, Rolle
Town) This place is also popular. It has a pool
table, satellite TV, and music and dancing.
LITTLE EXUMA
Little Exuma lies only around 10 miles from
the Exuma International Airport, and is
separated from the main isle by a 200yd
bight; a bridge fills the gap.
A number of ongoing developments
for private beachside dwellings have yet
to encroach completely over some lovely
beaches. A nice day can be spent here relax-
ing on the white sands and paddling around
in the perfectly clear water.
Pretty Molly Beach is one of the loveliest
beaches on the island, despite the sorrowful
origin of its name – a slave killed herself one
day by simply walking into the waves off
this beach. The stark beauty of these shores
is a fitting monument to her spirit, which is
said to still walk alongside these waters.
FERRY TO WILLIAMS TOWN
Ferry is a small hillside settlement that lies
immediately across the bridge from Great
Exuma. A highlight is St Christopher’s Angli-
can Church, a whitewashed chapel festooned
with a bougainvillea bower. Supposedly it’s
the smallest church in the Bahamas.
Forbes Hill, 12 miles southeast of George
Town, has a 100yd-wide scimitar of pure
white sand with turquoise shallows cusped
by tiny headlands. Idyllic! Two miles south
of Forbes Hill a side road leads east to Tropic
of Cancer Beach, another true stunner that
runs south, unblemished, for several miles.
The southernmost settlement is Williams
Town (population 300), populated predom-
www.lonelyplanet.com E X U MA C AY S • • S h i p C h a n n e l C a y & A l l a n ’ s C a y s 203
inantly by Kelsalls, descended from or
named for the foremost Loyalist family
that founded the settlement. The Kelsalls
established a cotton plantation and sold salt
drawn from nearby salt ponds. The brush-
entangled ruins of the plantation home –
Hermitage Estate – still stand amid pinkish
brine ponds.
You can see locals dressing their fresh
catch of fish and conch at the rickety
wharf behind and just south of St Mary
Magdalene’s Church. North of town, on the
bluff to the side of the road, you’ll pass a
tall Doric pillar transporting you (metaphor-
ically) to ancient Greece. This column and
a rusty cannon stand high above the rocky
shore. The hulk of a ship lies dramatically
on a white-sand beach fronting the village,
within calling distance of the column meant
to guide mariners.
Mom’s Bakery in Williams Town is the
place to stock up on rum cake, banana
bread, coconut tarts and bread, while Bull-
ard’s Supplies is fine for basic groceries.
EXUMA CAYS
The cays begin at the barren Sail Rocks, 40
miles southeast of New Providence. Though
they may seem alike, each has its own quirky
character. Many are privately owned.
The cays offer a variety of extraordinary
pleasures and experiences. A highlight of
any visit is a snorkel or dive trip into Staniel
Cay’s Thunderball Grotto.
These waters are acclaimed as the ‘fin-
est cruising grounds in the Western Hemi-
sphere.’ The Exuma Guide: A Cruising Guide
to the Exuma Cays by Stephen Pavlidis is a
must-read for sailors.
Along with day trips to several of the
cays from Nassau (see p80), or kayak and
snorkel trips from George Town (see p197),
you can always hire your own boat. Ask the
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-336-2430;
www.bahamas.com; Queen’s Hwy, George Town) or see
recommendations under Boat, p200.
For details of the mail boat that visits
some of the cays in this area from Nassau,
see p193.
SHIP CHANNEL CAY & ALLAN’S CAYS
Long, narrow Ship Channel Cay is the
northernmost cay after Sail Rocks, while
THE EXUMAS
BOWE CAY IS FOR HIRE!
Any Robinson Crusoes out there fancy some
time-out? This 220-acre cay is 10 miles
around, has a lagoon ringed by mangroves,
as well as walking trails and miles of white
sandy beaches. Company consists of some
friendly goats and sun-baking iguanas. Con-
tact owners via www.bowecay.com.
Allan’s Cays, immediately south, comprise
about a dozen cays popular with boaters
and fisherfolk. One of the prettiest is Leaf
Cay, with a splendid beach and an endemic
subspecies of iguana, the yellowish ‘Baha-
mian dragon.’ It can be visited by day trip
from Nassau.
Yachters will find an exceptionally good
anchorage at Leaf Cay.
HIGHBORNE CAY
This private cay, 2 miles south of Leaf Cay,
is favored by yachies, who are permitted
ashore if they are using the marina’s fa-
cilities. The beach on the eastern side of
the cay is one of the most beautiful in the
Bahamas.
The Highborne Cay Research Station has
recently been set up to research a year in
the life of Bahamian stromatolites (living
fossils) to see how they adapt to changing
weather environments. For more inform-
ation on stromatolites and Highborne Cay
contact www.stromatolites.info.
The Highborne Cay Marina (%242-355-1008;
fax 242-355-1003, VHF channel 16; Nassau, New Providence)
has a grocery store, pay phone and berths
for yachts up to 130ft.
NORMAN’S CAY
One look at the stunning beaches and you’ll
understand why 4-mile-long Norman’s Cay
was once an idyllic hideaway for the win-
tering wealthy, and then a less salubrious
crowd (see the boxed text, p205). The bone-
fishing here is said to be superb.
MacDuff’s (%242-357-8846; www.macduffs.com;
r $230; na) has four one-bedroom villas
that will sleep 16 people in all. They are
pleasantly decorated and come with an
equipped kitchen. Water sports are offered,
and food can be stocked by arrangement.
The bar here is a popular lunch spot for
yachties.
THE EXUMAS 204 E X U MA C AY S • • E x u m a C a y s L a n d & S e a Pa r k www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com E X U MA C AY S • • C o m p a s s & S a m p s o n C a y s 205

THE EXUMAS
EXUMA CAYS 0
0
30 km
20 miles
be taken from here, including shells. Fish With no commercial development, the
76º30'W 76º00'W
spawned in the park have now been proven main cays in the park’s vicinity are perfect
A B C Tarpum Bay D to be breeding further afield and replenish- for camping. There are no facilities, how-
Sail Rocks SLEEPING
Compass Cay Apartment....................9 B3
ing overfished areas, to everyone’s delight. ever, and you will need to take all food and
De Shamons.....................................10 B4 The park runs 22 miles south from Wax water with you. The Bahamas National Trust
Farmer’s Cay Yacht Club & Marina..11 C4
1 Happy People Marina.......................12 C4 Cay Cut (immediately south of Norman’s (BNT; %242-359-1821; www.thebahamasnationaltrust
Rock Sound.......................................13 A2
MacDuff's Cay) to Conch Cut and Fowl Cay. It is 8 .org; Warderick Wells Cay; h9am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Fri,
Oceanview House............................(see 9)
Ship Channel Cay
Staniel Cay Yacht Club & Resort......14 C4 miles wide, extending 3½ miles east and 9am-1pm Sat) has posted information leaflets
Allan’s Cays west on each side of the islands. It has out- on several cays; park access is free.
EATING
Adderley's Convenience Store........(see 10) standing anchorages and even more out- Apart from day tours to the park from
Highborne Cay
17
Club Thunderball............................. 15 D3
Lorraine's Café...............................(see 10)
standing dive sites. Nassau or kayaking tours from George
Ocean Cabin Restaurant..................16 C4 On land, you may glimpse the Bahamian Town, your best bet is to hire a boat and
Norman’s Cay
Eleuthera Restaurant......................................(see 14)
Royal Entertainer’s Restaurant........(see 12)
mockingbird, Bahamian banana quit, or the camping gear from George Town and enjoy
Exuma
13
8
rare red-legged thrush. Seabirds abound, in- exploring this wonderful region in your own
2 Sound TRANSPORT
cluding terns, waders, and the elegant, long- time. Otherwise access to the park is from St-
Highborne Cay Marina.....................17 A2
Wax Cay Cut
Little San tailed tropicbird, which nests in high bluffs. aniel Cay, where you might be able to hitch a
Shroud
Cay Exuma Cays Land
Salvador Land animals include curly-tailed and blue- ride with the park warden on his daily patrol.
24º30'N
Hawksbill
& Sea Park
tailed lizards, plump iguanas and endangered He monitors VHF channel 16 from the park
Cay hutias that look like oversized guinea pigs. headquarters at Warderick Wells Cay.
Cistern Cay
Majors Spot 0
0
600 m
0.4 miles
Uninhabited Hawksbill Cay, ringed by stun- Boaters must anchor at Hog Cay at the
ning beaches, has marked nature trails that south end of Warderick Wells Cay. Moor-
Warderick
5
Hall’s
15
lead to the ruins of an old Loyalist planta- ings cost from $15 daily, depending on your
Wells Cay
Pond Cay
Thunderball
tion. Little Hawksbill Cay is a major nesting vessel’s length. Call ‘Exuma Park’ on VHF
3 Grotto site for ospreys. Warderick Wells Cay, which 16 at least 24 hours in advance to check
Conch Cut has 4 miles of nature trails, is said to be availability.
Fowl
9
Compass Cay Staniel Cay
haunted by the tormented spirits from a
Great Bahama Bank Cay
slave ship. Shroud Cay has ‘Driftwood Vil- COMPASS & SAMPSON CAYS
Sampson Cay
lage,’ an ever-expanding piece of flotsam These popular yachter’s havens, south of
See Enlargement Staniel Cay 14 2
1
folk art. And the Rocky Dundas, two rocks the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park, each
in Conch Cut, has a cave full of stalactites boast a small harbor with a beach, beach-
4
Airstrip and stalagmites. lined coves, and trails.
Black Point 10
12
3
Moriah Harbour Cay sits between Great and Two properties are up for rent, via an
4 Great 7 Little Exuma, and is comprised of beaches, American-based website. Compass Cay Apart-
Guana
24º00'N Tongue
Cay sand dunes, mangrove creeks and sea-grass ment (%US 540-721-9915; www.a1vacations.com; per
16
beds. This is another park for hikers, and week $1000; na) has two bedrooms, while
of the Sea Little
Farmer’s for lovers of feathered creatures. Resident Oceanview House is a three-bedroom house
Cay 11 Big Farmer’s
Cay bird species include nighthawks, ospreys, ($1750 per week). Both properties have a
INFORMATION oystercatchers and terns. deck and complete kitchen.
BaTelCo.............................................1 C4
Government Medical Clinic................2 C4
Library................................................3 C4
Post Office.........................................4 C4 CARLOS LEHDER RIVAS
5 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
6 In the 1970s most of Norman’s Cay was purchased by Carlos Lehder Rivas, a founding member
Lee Stocking
BNT Park Headquarters.......................5 B3 Island of the Medellin Cartel, the infamous and violent Colombian drug-smugglers. Lehder was well
Caribbean Marine Research Centre....6 C5
Church...............................................7 C4 See Great & Little known for idolizing Hitler and labeled his drug packages with swastikas.
DC-3 Drug-Running Plane Wreck......8 A2 Exuma Map (p194–5)
Highbourne Cay Research Station..(see 17)
When he arrived in the Bahamas, Lehder brought in armed thugs, drove out most of the
Georgetown (16mi)
residents, and turned the cay into a landing strip for illegal cargoes. Cocaine was smuggled from
Colombia, through the Bahamas and into the USA. An NBC documentary apparently blew the lid
EXUMA CAYS LAND & SEA PARK miles of reef that include pillar corals, where in 1983 and the authorities stepped in.
The Bahamas has several jewels in its gor- groupers and turtles swan lazily about. Lehder was prosecuted for drug-trafficking in 1987–88. He was convicted and sentenced to
geous turquoise crown, and this is one of The first marine ‘replenishment nursery’ life plus 135 years in prison. He later struck a deal to testify in the drug-trafficking trial of former
them. An unspoilt underwater idyll teems in the world, the park consists of 112,640 Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. Lehder’s whereabouts are a USA government secret, but it
with all sorts of fish and marine life that acres or 175 sq miles of protected islands and is widely believed that he is now under the States’ witness protection scheme.
scarcely notice your presence as they dart surrounding seas, and was created in 1958. A DC-3 drug-running plane still lies rusting in Norman Cay’s shallow water, having missed the
through a labyrinth of vast caverns, down All fishing and collecting is banned. No ma- runway during the period of Lehder’s residence in the Bahamas.
over walls, through blue holes and along rine or plant life, whether dead or alive, may

THE EXUMAS 206 E X U MA C AY S • • S t a n i e l C a y
STANIEL CAY
pop 76
This tiny cay is the most sophisticated and
visited settlement in the Exuma Cays and
the main base from which to visit the Exuma
Cays Land & Sea Park. The small, attractive
village has all the necessities – grocery stores,
post office, church and library (1776) – and
the cay is lined with some lovely tranquil
beaches on which to relax. The bonefishing
is also supposed to be grand.
There is a BaTelCo station and several
phonecard booths, plus St Luke’s Clinic (%242-
355-2010), staffed by a nurse.
The New Year’s Day Regatta, always fun,
is when locally built dinghies compete for
prizes, and the town beach celebrates the
return of many local people and yachties for
the festivities. The Annual Staniel Cay Bonefish
Tournament in August is another big event
that brings home the locals and makes big
fish quiver in dismay.
Thunderball Grotto
This crystalline grotto, just northwest of the
cay, is another Bahamian jewel. The exquis-
ite cavern – lit by shafts of light pouring in
from holes in the ceiling that sear through
the water highlighting a myriad of darting
fish – was named for the James Bond movie
Thunderball, scenes from which were filmed
here. So, too, were scenes from Splash and
another 007 movie, Never Say Never Again.
Although you swim in at low tide, the
current is pretty strong – inexperienced
swimmers may prefer to snorkel and swim
elsewhere. Divers also love this spot.
Sleeping & Eating
The cay has two waterfront hotels that play
to the boating crowd. For fully furnished
holiday rentals contact the American-based
agency www.a1vacations.com.
Staniel Cay Yacht Club & Resort (%242-355-2024;
www.stanielcay.com; r per day/week $148/945, mains $12-
25; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner; nais) This
is truly a place for lovers of perfect seafront
views. Spacious verandas overlook the sea and
create a feeling of total relaxation. There are
cool and comfortable cottages (with kitch-
enettes) or suites (with kitchens) and great
weekly rates. Use one of the resort’s free Bos-
ton Whalers or Sunfish sailboats, take along
the free scuba gear and go and visit gorgeous
Major Cay. The restaurant here attracts the
www.lonelyplanet.com
yachting hoi polloi, and serves American-
and Bahamian-style cuisine; book ahead.
You can also order a boxed lunch for excur-
sions (no pork sausages thank you).
Happy People Marina (%242-355-2008; fax 242-
355-2025; r $90-200; mains $10-28; hbreakfast, lunch
& dinner; a) Has eight air-con rooms with
ceiling fans and a decor of rainbow pastels.
Upstairs rooms boast marvelous views and
have private bathrooms; those downstairs
share bathrooms. Singer Jimmy Buffett
drops in on occasion to play the Marina’s
Royal Entertainer’s Restaurant, named as
one of his favorite bars. Reservations are
needed for dinner when lobster is added to
the Bahamian menu. There is also a pool
table and music at weekends.
Club Thunderball (%242-355-2012; mains $10-20;
hlunch & dinner, closed Mon) This lively place is
atop the bluff overlooking the Thunderball
Grotto. It serves Bahamian food and has
beach barbecues on Friday night (book a
rib!), plus occasional pig roasts and a Super
Bowl party in January. The club also fea-
tures a pool table, satellite TV and dancing
on weekends.
Several stores here sell groceries.
GREAT GUANA CAY
The largest of the Exuma Cays, 12-mile-long
Great Guana Cay, also has the cays’ largest
settlement, Black Point (population 253), and
has a reputation for not being the friendliest
place. Facilities include an airstrip, post of-
fice, BaTelCo station and Government Medical
Clinic (%242-355-0007). An Emancipation Day
Regatta is held here each August.
De Shamons (%242-355-3009; Black Point; r $90)
has four rooms with fridge over their res-
taurant. The restaurant specializes in freshly
caught fish served in traditional Bahamian
style. Ask about meals with bookings.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE LITTLE
PIGGIES?
Only a short boat trip away from Staniel
Cay, tiny Major Cay is a great place for a day
of snorkeling and sunning. Don’t forget a
picnic for yourself and the friendly porcine
population to enjoy! Yes, that’s right, Major
Cay has some famous swimming pigs that
like nothing better than a plash, pat and a
peanut-butter sandwich.
www.lonelyplanet.com
RAGGED ISLAND RANGE
Few visitors ever reach this crescent of a
dozen or so isles and a score of small cays
that lie about 25 miles south of Little Exuma.
The chain begins with the Jumento Cays,
arcs west and south for about 100 miles
and ends with the largest isle, Ragged Is-
land. During the 19th century the chains’
flats were used for salt-crystal farming.
Today they are virtually uninhabited.
Most of the cays here are windswept
and barren, increasingly so to the south.
The birdlife is varied and prolific. A light-
house still stands on Flamingo Cay. Ragged
Island has the only settlement, Duncan
Town (population 70), where residents earn
their living from fishing.
You will need to charter or hire your
own boat to reach these islands. Ask the
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-336-
2430; www.bahamas.com; Queen’s Hwy, George
Town) or see recommendations, p200).
Lorraine’s Café (%242-355-2201; hbreakfast)
is recommended for inexpensive Bahamian
fare and freshly baked bread and cookies.
Call the day before to order breakfast.
Adderley’s Convenience Store (%242-358-8056;
h7:30am-6pm) sells groceries.
LITTLE FARMER’S CAY
This cay is simply a stone’s throw away
from the southwest tip of Great Guana. It
© Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
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the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’
© Lonely Planet Publications
E X U MA C AY S • • L i t t l e Fa r m e r ’ s C a y 207
THE EXUMAS
consists of a fairly small fishing village and
bay. It hosts the annual Farmer’s Cay Festival
& Regatta in the first weekend of February
as well as the spirited Full Moon Beer Festival
in July.
Farmer’s Cay Yacht Club & Marina (%/fax 242-
355-4017; r $90; a) has three smallish rooms
with TV. A fairly basic restaurant (mains $8-18;
hlunch & dinner) and bar also overlook the
sea. Notice is needed for dinner.
Ocean Cabin Restaurant (%/fax 242-355-4006;
mains $5-20; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner), a small,
friendly bar in the hamlet, serves up meals
and beers, and has regular barbecues during
the winter season. The owners also run two
cosy rental cottages on Dabba Hill (prices
start at $130 per night).
Ettienne & Cephas (around $50 for shorter trips,
round-trip $140; 21hrs) mail boat departs Nas-
sau on Tuesday for Staniel Cay, Farmer’s
Cay, Black Point, Little Farmer’s Cay and
Barreterre.
LEE STOCKING ISLAND
About 5 miles north of Great Exuma, Lee
Stocking has an airstrip and the Caribbean
Marine Research Centre (% 242-345-6039; www
.perryinstitute.org) This 100-acre scientific re-
search facility is funded by grants from
the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Administration with the aim of research-
ing underwater ecosystems and learning
how to ensure the vitality of the reefs and
aquatic life. Visitors are welcomed with
short tours.
 © Lonely Planet Publications
208 www.lonelyplanet.com C AT I S L A N D 209

Cat & San Salvador CAT ISLAND place to visit, but one that you have to dig

Islands
deep to discover. There is no tourism infra-
structure that hands the island’s history and
pop 1548 culture to you on a plate; non-Bahamian visi-
Here beats the heart of the traditional tors are rare, and those who come here go to
African-Bahamian culture. This 48 sq miles several diving resorts on the south coast.
of remote island, south of Eleuthera and 130 A single road, Queen’s Hwy, runs down
miles southeast of Nassau, is an interesting the west shore, lined by plantation ruins
Many Bahamians love these two islands because they represent a way of life that has existed
in the Bahamas for hundreds of years. However, don’t expect island idylls; these impoverished CAT ISLAND 0
0
12 km
7 miles
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R

C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
islands are different to other Family Islands. Their economic and cultural isolation is most Grape 75º40'W
A Point B C D
apparent in Cat’s decaying churches which would be kept pristine on most Family Islands Glass Hill
Man O' War INFORMATION Government Medical Clinic.........3 B1
regardless of the local economy’s state.
ISLANDS

Point 13

ISLANDS
24º40'N Camperdown
7 Beach BaTelCo...................................(see 2) Knowles Media Centre...............4 C3
29 Cat Island Library...................(see 10) Police Station..............................5 B1
1 Community Clinic...................... 1 D5 Police Station...........................(see 2)
Cat Island is barely touched by tourism, despite superb diving off the south shore where Port Royal Beach 41
Arthur's Town District Medical Officer............(see 2) Post Office...............................(see 2)
Orange Creek 33 Airport
Government Administration
a 12-mile front contains a wealth of caves and coral canyons to explore. Climb the rock Arthur's Town
5
3
12 Gaitor’s
Complex................................2 C4 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Hole
Armbrister Plantation (Ruins)..... 6 D4
staircase hewn into the side of Como Hill by Father Jerome, the architect hermit, to see the 38 Zion Hill
Big Blue Hole..............................7 A1
16 Dumfries ATLANTIC
little stone church that he built, and a spiritually reviving 360-degree view. 32
Boiling Point..............................8 D4
Caves.........................................9 C3
Wilson Bay OCEAN Columbus World Centre
31
The boyhood home of Academy Award-winning actor Sir Sidney Poitier, Cat is also re- See Inset
Bennett’s Harbour Museum..............................10 C3
22 Deveaux House.......................11 D5
nowned for the continuing practice of obeah (a form of African-based ritual magic). San 30
Great Crown Caves..................12 B1
35
Griffin Bat Cave........................13 A1
Salvadorians also still utilize bush medicine that derives from the first African slaves brought 2 Pigeon Cay Beach Holy Redeemer Catholic
Roker’s Church................................ 14 D4
to the region. Little Same scale as Bluff Hotel Greenwood Dive

Qu
San Salvador main map Centre...............................(see 27)

een
House Rebecca........................15 D5
‘San Sal’ is one of the best wall-dive destinations in the world. There are more than 40 dive

's
Industrious Hill Loyalist Mansion (Ruins)...........16 B1
Mermaid Hole......................... 17 D5

Hw
sites within 30 minutes of shore, and more near Rum Cay and Conception Island. The island’s Mt Alvernia Hermitage............ 18 D4

y
9
St Francis Assisi Catholic
waters are known for visibility up to 200ft; on special days it can exceed a miraculous 250ft! SLEEPING
Stephenson Alligator
Bay Church................................ 19 D4
Bennett's Harbour Guest Cottages........22 B2 St John the Baptist Catholic
The biggest event of the year is the Cat Island Regatta held on Emancipation Day (the first Bridge Inn............................................ 23 C4 The Cove Church................................ 20 D5
St Mary's Church..................... 21 D4
Fernandez Bay Village.......................... 24 C4 Tea Bay
Monday in August). Scores of Cat Islanders return from afar, and sailboat races, dominoes Gilbert's Inn & Car Rentals................... 25 C4 4
3 Hawk’s Nest Resort & Marina...............26 C5 Knowles
tournaments and great rake ‘n’ scrape bands fill the island with a rare sense of fun. Hotel Greenwood Beach Resort &
10 Pine
Bay
Dive Centre...................................... 27 D4
House Kolibri....................................... 28 D4 Smith Bay
Orange Creek Inn.................................29 A1
39 Turtle Cove
Pigeon Cay Beach Club.........................30 B2 24º20'N
HIGHLIGHTS Pompey Rock Villas...............................31 B2 Fishing New Bight
Airport
Sammy T's Beach Resort.......................32 B2
Fernandez Bay 36 23
24 Big Turtle Cove
! Chat with islanders in Arthur’s Town about Bahamian history and obeah (p212) in Cat Island EATING 14
18 43
Fishing 25
and San Salvador Bachelor's Restaurant...........................(see 4) 2 Mt Alvernia
Blue Bird Restaurant & Bar..................(see 34) New Bight (Como Hill, 206ft)
6
! Take a guided walk (p218) to learn about San Salvador’s old plantations Club Boggy Pond..................................33 B1
34
Cookie Bakery....................................(see 33)
and bush medicine 4 First & Last Chance Bar.........................34 C4 Exuma Sound
Pigeon Bay
Hard Rock Oasis.................................(see 33)
! Experience a Cat Island sunrise, and the Arthur's Island Shopping Centre.........................35 B2
21
Town Old Bight
humbling work of Father Jerome’s Mt Issie's Convenience Store......................(see 4)
19
Len's Grocery.....................................(see 22)
Alvernia Hermitage (p210) Nancy's Takeaway..............................(see 33)
Armbrister
Creek
27
New Bight Food Market....................... 36 C4 8 28
Winding
! Dive the pristine waters and numerous Newbold's Grocery Store...................... 37 D5 Great Bay
Lake
wall-dive sites of San Salvador (p217) Mt Alvernia
McQueen’s
Cemetery Port
DRINKING 17 37 42 Howe
26 Hawk’s Nest
Da Smokepot........................................38 B1
! Kick up your heels on a Friday night at the Hallover’s Hotel & Inn..........................39 C3
Creek
40
20 11
Fishing Bain Cemetery
Harlem Square Club (p218) in Cockburn Town, Pass me Not Bar...................................(see 8) Fishing Devil’s
1 15 Town Cave
Morgan’s Cutlass Columbus
San Salvador Cockburn Town 5 TRANSPORT
Point
Bay Bay Point
French
Vertical walls Deep South Roundabout......................40 C5 Bay Devil’s
Fishing Tartar Bank
Gas Station...........................................41 A1 Point Dive Site
Gas Station.......................................... 42 D5
Gilbert's Car Rental............................(see 42)
New Bight Service Station & Car Rental..43 D4
! TELEPHONE CODE: 242 ! POPULATION: 2576 ! AREA: 119 SQ MILES 75º30'W The Cave
75º20'W

Cat Island
 210 C AT I S L A N D • • S o u t h C a t I s l a n d
and ramshackle settlements where unem-
ployment is rife, and goats wander amid
fallen stone walls. Despite this, Cat Island
is blessed with rolling hills and crowned by
Como Hill (206ft) and its atmospheric her-
mitage, while the Atlantic or ‘north’ shore
is crowned with miles of blush-colored
beaches and dramatic cliffs.
Caves, blue holes, and freshwater lakes dot
the island, known for a species of freshwater
turtle or ‘Peters,’ which tragically are still
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
eaten even though they are endangered. Also
found here are harmless snakes, giant land
ISLANDS
crabs and bat-sized monarch moths (known
locally as wealth-enhancing ‘money bats’).
The wall-diving accessed from the south-
west coast is exceptional and there is some
great hiking along old logging and planta-
tion trails.
History
Following the American Revolution, Loyal-
ists arrived with many African slaves and
established around 40 cotton and cattle es-
tates. Many homes still retain traditional
African ovens for baking bread and tea-
cakes, while the African culture of bush
medicine and obeah are still powerful influ-
ences. Some of the islanders are said to be
skilled witches, always happy to prescribe a
homemade cure.
Since emancipation, things in a material
sense haven’t changed much for most of
the population. Many depend upon selling
their few tomatoes, onions, and pineapples
(planted in limestone pot holes, where nu-
tritious soils are aided by guano or bat ex-
crement, gathered from caves for fertilizer)
and on small stipends from the National
Insurance Board.
Dangers & Annoyances
Many stretches of the roads are riddled with
pot holes which can be a nasty surprise
when driving. Some rental cars may be a
little unreliable. There are no banks on Cat
Island, and a limited choice of shops.
Getting There & Around
Most visitors fly into one of the two airports
on Cat Island, while others arrive by mail
boat. Taxis do meet the flights, but you will
need a car to get around, so it’s best to pre-
book a rental car from the airport. Lodgings
also provide free airport transfers.
www.lonelyplanet.com
SOUTH CAT ISLAND
New Bight
New Bight extends north to the tiny set-
tlement of Smith Bay, where there’s a bat
cave amid the bush. A goat track leads from
Smith Bay to Pine Bay, a good surf beach.
Adventurous spirits can hike to Turtle Cove,
a splendid cove on the Atlantic shore where
marine turtles sometimes hang out.
New Bight originated as a free-slave set-
tlement named Freetown. Much of the
surrounding land has belonged to the Arm-
brister family since 1780.
There are several beautiful casuarina-
lined beaches, including Fernandez Bay.
The District Medical Officer (%242-342-3026)
and police (%242-342-3039) sit in the govern-
ment administrative complex.
Father Jerome’s Mt Alvernia Hermitage is a
tiny blanched-stone church with a Gothic-
style bell tower, small chapel, tiny cloister,
and guest cell on Como Hill. Reached by
a rock staircase on the hillside, the views
from here are wonderful. A rough track to
the hermitage, begins immediately south of
the Government Administrative Complex
on Queen’s Hwy, north of the ruins of the
old Armbrister Plantation.
The biggest happening of the year is Au-
gust’s Cat Island Regatta. Cat Islanders from
far and wide head back to the island for the
homemade sailboat races and land-based
fun of Emancipation Day, while the four-
day Annual Rake ’n’ Scrape Music Festival in June
is organized by Sidney Poitier’s daughter,
Pamela.
ACTIVITIES
There are several superb dive and snor-
kel sites down south at Morgan’s Bay and
Hawk’s Nest Bay (p213) and . Dry Head, in
shallow water close to shore here, also has
prolific marine life.
Favored bonefishing spots include the
flats of Joe’s Sound Creek, a 20-minute boat
ride south of Fernandez Bay, and Pigeon
Creek, a 20-minute ride to the north.
Top Cat’s Fishing Service (%242-342-7003; Devil’s
Point) will tailor-make trips for you, priced
accordingly.
Fernandez Bay Village (%242-342-3043; www.fer
nandezbayvillage.com; Fernandez Bay) will arrange
bonefishing (half-/full-day $195/280), bot-
tom fishing (half-/full-day $250/400) and a
short day fishing trip for children ($150).
www.lonelyplanet.com C AT I S L A N D • • S o u t h C a t I s l a n d 211
FATHER JEROME Christopher P Baker
John Hawes – hermit and humanitarian – was born in England in 1876 to an upper-middle-class
family. He was a visionary, prize-winning architect before entering theological college in 1901,
preparing to becoming an Anglican minister.
Once ordained, he vowed to emulate the life of St Francis of Assisi and lived briefly as a tramp.
In 1908 he came to the Bahamas and traveled around the islands to rebuild churches that had
been destroyed by a hurricane, utilizing thick stone and Roman arches. Hawes offended local
sensibilities, however, while preaching on Harbour Island. He asked the congregation why the
Whites were sitting at the front and the Blacks at the back, when all men are created equal.
‘The congregation nearly fainted with shock and I was rushed out of the church as quickly as
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
possible,’ Hawes recorded.
Between bouts of preaching, the eccentric Englishman worked as a mule driver in Canada,
ISLANDS
a fox terrier breeder, a cow puncher, and a sailor. In 1911 he converted to Catholicism and
studied for the priesthood in Rome before moving to Australia to serve as a bush priest during
the gold rush.
In 1939 Hawes came to Cat Island to live as a hermit and began work on his hermitage atop
Como Hill, renamed Mt Alvernia after the site in Tuscany where St Francis received the wounds
of the cross. Meanwhile, he lived in a cave amid snakes, tarantulas and crabs, and took unto
himself the name Father Jerome.
He built four churches on Cat Island, as well as a medical clinic, convent, monastery, techni-
cal school, and other projects throughout the Bahamas, all featuring his trademark medievalist
architectural motif, made of quarried rock.
Undoubtedly, locals regarded him as a saintly figure. Many climbed the monastery steps to ask
for money ‘in a state verging on destitution,’ and none was denied. Locals of all denominations
attended his sermons, although apparently he converted only five people to Catholicism.
He died in 1956 and was buried, as per his request, barefoot and without a casket in the cave
that had once been his home.
You can also buy masks and snorkels This quiet and attractive resort has fabulous
here, while complimentary fins are leant to beachside stone and timber rooms, with
guests. A 13ft Boston Whaler can be hired private open-air bathrooms overlooked by
at an hourly rate of $45. the sun and stars. An alfresco thatched bar
and dining tables have a wonderful ocean
SLEEPING & EATING backdrop and the offshore reefs are perfect
Gilbert’s Inn & Car Rentals (%242-342-3011; New for easy snorkeling. It offers free use of kay-
Bight; s/d $80/95; pna ) This two-story aks and canoes, while bicycles can be rented
motel opposite the New Bight Food Mar- for $10 daily.
ket is very popular, so book ahead. Each The Blue Bird Restaurant & Bar (%242-342-
spotless room has a bed with mirrored 3095), on Queen’s Hwy near the Govern-
headboard (quite unnerving in the morn- ment adminstration complex, serves local
ing), good bathroom and TV. Car rentals fare, with mains from $8.
are also possible. You can buy groceries from Fernandez Bay
Bridge Inn (%242-342-3013; www.catislandbridge Village (%242-342-3043) and at the well-stocked
inn.com; r $88; pna) The gloomy rooms at New Bight Food Market (%242-342-3011).
this inn, just down the road from Gilbert’s, The Blue Restaurant & Bar (%242-342-3095)
are in need of maintenance and upgrading. is a good place to play pool while the First &
Nevertheless, attractive native-stone walls Last Chance Bar is known for its lively games
and lofty wooden ceilings keep rooms cool, of dominoes.
and come with a TV. A restaurant and bar The modern Hallover’s Inn has a pleasant
serves Bahamian food and has a rocking bar with TV and pool table. The Bridge Inn
jukebox. sometimes hosts a local rake ’n’ scrape band
Fernandez Bay Village (%242-342-3043; www (percussion music made with household
.fernandezbayvillage.com; Fernandez Bay; r $230; pn) objects).
 212 C AT I S L A N D • • S o u t h C a t I s l a n d www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com C AT I S L A N D • • S o u t h C a t I s l a n d 213

GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Please refer to p288 for information on in-
ternational flights to the Bahamas.
Cat Island is served by two airports,
Arthur’s Town Airport (ATC; %242-354-2046), close
to Arthur’s Town, and New Bight Airport (TBI;
%242-342-2016) at New Bight.
The following airlines fly between the
Biminis and other Bahamian islands:
Bahamasair (UP; www.bahamasair.com) Freeport
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
Marina
Many yachties hoist up in Fernandez Bay
for food and water stores. Private boaters
should check in with Customs (%242-342-
2016; fax 242-342-2041) in New Bight.
Hawk’s Nest Resort & Marina (p214) has
full service facilities, 28 slips, air-conditioned
fish-cleaning sheds, accommodations and a
private air-strip.
Worth a visit, too, is St Mary’s Church, fron-
ted by an African flame tree. The church
was a gift of the family of Blaney Balfour, the
British governor who read the emancipation
proclamation.
Armbrister Creek leads to a crystal-clear lake
called ‘Boiling Hole’ that bubbles and churns
under certain tidal conditions, fueling local
fears that it is haunted by a monster. Baby
sharks and rays can be seen cruising the
sandy bottom. Birdlife also abounds in the
The decrepit Deveaux House mansion was
presented to Colonel Andrew Deveaux,
who saved Nassau from Spanish occupation
in 1783. Note the old slave quarters.
There’s a cave worth exploring (it was
once inhabited by Lucayan Indians, who left
artifacts) and a tidal geyser in Churney Bay.
The diving off the south shore is superb;
visit the wall which begins at 50ft and drops
to 6000ft and Tartar Bank, covered by coral,
sponges and sea fans. Winding Bay offers

GETTING AROUND

C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
(%242-352-8341); Nassau (%242-377-5505) Hubs Taxis do meet flights. Try D&L Taxi Service mangrove estuary. fabulous gorgonians and black coral.
Freeport and Nassau. (%242-354-5088; Wilson Bay). Your hotel will ar- Don’t ignore the wonderfully-named Pass Hotel Greenwood Beach Resort & Dive Centre
ISLANDS

ISLANDS
Cat Island Air (%242-377-3318; fax 242-377-3723) range a free airport pickup with advance Me Not Bar (%242-342-4016; Queen’s Hwy). offers one-/two-tank dives ($60/80), night
Hub Nassau. notice. Car rental hire is about $90 per day. To explore the area, you can rent canoes dives ($65) and snorkeling (half-day $25),
Southern Air (%242-367-2498; www.southernair Insurance is not available. at Fernandez Bay Village (p210). and hires out snorkel gear for $5.
charter.com) Hub Nassau; has flights from Deadman’s Cay Gilbert’s Inn & Car Rental (%242-342-3011; There’s good bonefishing in the bay off
to Long Island. New Bight) Bain Town Port Howe, ask at the resort for recom-
New Bight Service Station & Car Rental (%242- The town lies along the shore south of the mended guides.
Flights from Nassau to Cat Island ($75 one- 342-3014) main road. There’s a gas station east of There’s a gas station west of Port Howe,
way) operate twice weekly. Fernandez Bay Village (small boats per hr $45; town, halfway to Port Howe. where you can rent a car from Gilbert’s Car
captained larger boats per hr $90) Look for St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Rental in this area.
Boat another inspired Father Jerome creation,
For mail boat information call the Dockmas- Old Bight and House Rebecca built of local limestone SLEEPING & EATING
ter’s Office (%242-394-1237; Nassau) or check the This slightly down-at-the-heels settlement and conch shells; owners Mr and Mrs Bain Hotel Greenwood Beach Resort (%242-342-3053;
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-302-2034; straggles along the road for several miles. (%242-342-5012) may invite you in to peek at www.greenwoodbeachresort.com; Port Howe; pn
www.bahamas.com) for updated information. Plantation ruins lie to its east, shaded by the sitting room ceiling, made of 966 shells as) This isolated but affable resort lies
MV Lady Rosalind ($45 one way, 14 hrs) mail boat trees festooned with Spanish moss. (they also offer accommodations). on an 8-mile stretch of pink-sand beach.
departs Nassau for Bennett’s Harbour and Sitting on top of a little ridge beside the Many believe that the 65ft-wide Mermaid A bit tatty around the edges, it’s great for
Orange Creek on Thursday, returning on road is St Francis Assisi Catholic Church, a Fa- Hole is inhabited by a mermaid. The lake is families and divers, but not for those seek-
Saturday. ther Jerome legacy. It has a Gothic facade 10ft deep, but four holes in its bed lead into ing a pristine idyll. Pleasant, light rooms are
MV The Sea Hauler ($45 one-way, 12 hrs) mail topped by a cross and an engraving of St vast underwater chambers and passageways. not screened (bring the mosquito spray),
boat departs Nassau for Smith Bay, Old Francis with a flock of birds. Its interior Newbold’s Grocery Store lies just outside and facilities include a TV, lounge-cum-
Bight and New Bight on Tuesday, returning has frescoes and sculptures. Mrs Burrows, Bain Town. dining-room and bar (serving European
on Monday. across the road, has the key. and Bahamian fare) and dive shop. Kayaks
Port Howe Area and bicycles are complimentary for guests.
The southeasternmost point of Cat Island, House Kolibri (%/fax 242-342-305; Port Howe;
OBEAH Christopher P Baker Columbus Point, lies 2 miles southeast of Port weekly $1500; pn) This spacious three-bed
Obeah is the practice of interacting with the spirit world. Part folklore, superstition, and magic Howe at the south end of Churney Bay, but house sits on a hill looking towards the ocean.
ritual, it is deeply imbedded in the national psyche. Obeah (the word is Ashanti, from West Africa) you will have to hike there from Port Howe. Simple rooms are tiled and airy, although the
was prohibited and severely suppressed by the Caribbean’s colonial authorities. Cat Islanders cling to the belief – effectively furnishings are basic and pretty sparse.
The practice of obeah has diminished but still coexists alongside Christianity. Some faithful debunked by recent evidence – that Colum-
operate as ‘balmists’ who enact revenge or ensure successful romances. Firm believers sometimes bus anchored here on October 12, 1492. Morgan’s Bay to Hawk’s Nest Creek
heal, fall sick, or even die due to their faith in the power of obeah. Historians believe that ‘Columba’ (1495), A badly potholed road leads west from the
‘Fixing’ meanwhile is the deployment of a spell to protect property; it also means casting a the first Spanish settlement in the New Deep South Roundabout, heading to Devil’s
spell or preventing a casting on or by other people. Many fixers ascribe their powers to God and World, was established to ship Lucayan In- Point, near McQueen’s (founded in the 18th
place their ‘fix’ through directions ‘derived’ from the Bible. dians as slaves to Hispaniola. century by a Scottish loyalist, Alexander
Those trees with bottles dangling from them are not bearing strange tropical fruit – the bot- Around 1670 a small group of English McQueen) and Hawk’s Nest, a 15-mile drive
tles are spells to protect against thieves. Also stay clear of graveyards, which are littered with settlers arrived from Bermuda and estab- from Deep South Roundabout.
bottles for the spirits of the dead, who otherwise would bother the living for rum, according to lished themselves here, earning a living as There are several superb dive and snor-
local beliefs. Many houses, especially those north of New Bight, are also topped by spindles (like wreckers. Then, in 1783, 60 English Loy- kel sites locally including Morgan’s Bay. Dry
lightning rods) to ward off evil spirits. alists arrived here and established large Head, close to shore has one of the health-
On Cat Island the center of obeah is the Bight; on New Providence, it’s the working-class area nearby plantations. iest and most-populated shallow reefs in the
of Fox Hill, yet obeah is still legally banned, mostly due to pressure from the Baptist church. Browse the ruins of some old fortresses Bahamas. Devil’s Point has large formations
and the cemetery on the west side of town. of elkhorn and staghorn, tube sponges, and
 214 C AT I S L A N D • • N o r t h C a t I s l a n d www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com S A N S A LVA D O R 215

brain coral, while the flats and inland tidal
creeks at Hawk’s Nest are crowded with
bonefish.
Hawk’s Nest Resort & Marina (%242-342-7050;
VHF Channel 16; www.hawks-nest.com; s/d $130/145;
pnas) This is a friendly and pris-
tine resort, marina and dive operation.
Spotless, cheerful and comfortable rooms
all offer ocean views and patios. A bar and
restaurant offers a range of pleasing dishes.
Billiards, darts and movies occupy barflies,
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
Pigeon Cay Beach Club (%242-354-5084; www
.pigeoncay-bahamas.com; r $140; pna) Over-
looking the beach, these self-contained
charming cabanas have comfortable, color-
ful furnishings. An adjacent beach bar and
barbecue is perfect for sunset dining. The
club runs island tours ($60 to $100), fish-
ing trips (half-day $250), rents Hobiecats
(small boats) and dinghies (full-day $25).
There are also snorkel gear, kayaks, bicycles
and canoes for hire.
BEASTS IN THE BLUE HOLES Christopher P Baker
Many of Cat Island’s saltwater blue holes are thought to be the home of awesome beasts, includ-
ing an island equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster.
The monster of Big Blue Hole, just off Dickies Rd near Orange Creek, is said to have an appetite
for horses. Hence some horses that die on Cat Island are tipped into the lake! (Objects are sucked
out of blue holes by strong tidal flows through subterranean passages that link the holes to the
sea). And though freshwater lakes are less feared, at least one – Mermaid Hole (p213) – is said
to be the home of a mermaid; another has a no less seductive merman.
Although Cat Island fishermen will readily travel many miles offshore, many of these same

men cannot, supposedly, be induced to travel even 50ft on these lakes.

C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
while ocean-side hammocks and the glori- The Island Shopping Centre sells groceries
ous beach keep everyone happy. and produce.
ISLANDS

A private 1380yd hard-surface airstrip
with tie-downs, deep-water marina with full
services and some good packages make this
a great option.
Contact the resort for tailor-made boat-
ing, fishing and diving trips; a top-notch
small diving operation offers one-/two-
tank dives ($60/80) and PADI Divemaster
qualifications ($700), and hires snorkel ($5)
and diving ($30) gear.
NORTH CAT ISLAND
The further north you explore, the more
obvious is the poverty. Villages contain lit-
tle more than dilapidated houses, shacks
and hurricane-damaged buildings. Trees lie
where they fell.
Knowles to Industrious Hill
Tumbledown slave-era homes dot the west
shore and little boats lie upturned beneath
spread-fingered palms.
Knowles, 8 miles north of New Bight, is
the first of a half-dozen small settlements.
There is the tiny Columbus World Centre Mu-
seum which tells the island history, Holy Re-
deemer Catholic Church and the Cat Island Library.
The Knowles Media Center (%242-342-6031) has
Internet access, while Bachelor’s Restaurant
(%242-342-6014; Knowles) is good for snacks.
The scenery is splendid at Tea Bay and
the Cove. Endemic freshwater turtles inhabit
the inland lakes and ponds, and there’s a
picturesque beach at Alligator Bay.
Issie’s Convenient Store (%242-342-6016) sells
groceries.
Roker’s Bluff
Also known as ‘Zanicle,’ Roker’s Bluff was
founded by Scottish settlers and many locals
have Scottish surnames. A dirt road leads a
mile northwest to beautiful Pigeon Cay Beach.
Bennett’s Harbour
The settlement sprawls beneath blazing-
colored flame trees that continue down to
a picturesque sheltered cove, once favored
by pirates and salt traders.
Little San Salvador island has a lagoon,
placid iguanas and plenty of seabirds.
Sammy T’s Beach Resort (%242-354-6010; sam
mytbahamas@direcway.com; r $225; pnas) This
classy, intimate resort has charming small
cabanas with upmarket Caribbean furnish-
ings and Bahamian artworks. Enjoy walk-
off-the beach snorkeling, a beachside bar and
seafood dishes. There are complimentary bi-
cycles, kayaks and shuffle-boards.
Bennett’s Harbour Guest Cottages (US %813-
932-1152; per week $800; pna) Ask locally
about renting these attractive and afford-
able cottages made from coral limestone,
stone and hardwood (retrieved from a
sunken galleon). Cottages include romantic
Wilson Bay which sits on a rock ledge over-
looking the sea; perfect for those seeking
a secluded hideaway. A van can be rented
and boats are available.
Also recommended are the rooms at Pom-
pey Rock Villas (%242-354-6003; r $85; pna)
overlooking the shore.
You can buy foodstuffs at Len’s Grocery.
See the Getting There & Away p212 for
travel information.
Dumfries
Named by Scottish loyalist settlers, Dum-
fries sits on a salt lake separated from the sea
by a drinking bar. A mile-long track leads
from here to Great Crown Caves, a vast cave
system, and a loyalist mansion, surrounded
by stately silk cotton trees.
Gaitor’s Hole is reached by a rough mile-
long track running east from Dumfries. It
is often a deep purple color, due to a dense
bacterial population. Local folklore has a
young island girl disappearing while vis-
iting the hole to do laundry. Apparently
she later reappeared; blissful and pregnant.
Her father and brother in reprise, killed the
hole’s resident; the purported father. The
girl later gave birth to a baby merman.
Arthur’s Town
The island’s second-largest settlement cent-
ers on Symonette Sq. The prim St Andrews
Anglican Church (1870s) and other historic
buildings project a faded grandeur.
The hamlet’s claim to fame is that it was
the boyhood home of Academy Award win-
ner Sir Sidney Poitier.
There’s a Government Medical Clinic (%242-
354-4050) and police (%242-354-2046) here.
Arthur’s Town hosts a heritage festival
during the first weekend in May.
Cookie Bakery sells breads, pineapple and
coconut tarts, plus burgers, fish and chips,
and other snacks. For lunch and dinner
also try Nancy’s Takeaway (%242-354-2024), Da
Smokepot (%242-354-2077) and Hard Rock Oasis
(%242-342-7050), while Club Boggy Pond (%242-
354-2215) has a pool table and TV.
Arthur’s Town has a small airport. See
Getting There & Away p212 for travel
information.
Orange Creek
There’s good bonefishing in the mouth of
Orange Creek, where it spills onto a beach.
Call Willard Cleare (%242-354-4143), local bone-
fishing guide.
The turquoise waters offshore are superb
snorkeling sites, with exquisite fan-coral
formations.
From the head of Orange Creek, a trail
leads west half a mile to the popular Port
ISLANDS
Royal Beach. Another leads north past Oyster
Lake (good for spotting ducks and cormo-
rants) and east to Man O’ War Point Beach, also
perfect for snorkeling.
A third track leads east from the head
of Orange Creek to Glass Hill (162ft), where
you’ll have beautiful views.
Dickie’s Rd runs east to Griffin Bat Cave;
once home to slaves who built walls and
windows into the entrance and to a series
of blue holes.
Orange Creek Inn (%242-354-4110; orangecreek
inn@yahoo.com; r without/with air-con $70/80; pna)
Sitting above the creek and a good grocery
store, this inn has spacious and well-main-
tained rooms. They are modestly furnished
and a bit stuffy; some have kitchenettes and
air-con. There’s also a TV lounge and a
laundry. You can hire cars here and there’s
a gas station in town.
SAN SALVADOR
pop 1028
Tiny San Salvador (nicknamed ‘San Sal’),
200 miles southeast of Nassau, is the nation’s
outermost island. This 12-mile speck is
ringed by superb reefs, and over 40 dive sites
lie within 30 minutes of the shore, with even
more near Rum Cay and Conception Island.
Divers rejoice in the crystalline water that
gives visibility over an amazing 200ft, while
30 miles of gorgeous beaches are wonderful
for walks and playing in the shallows.
Acres of mangroves and saltwater lakes
give rise to some inaccessible areas inland
that attract wildlife, mosquitos (unfortu-
nately), and birds. It’s a 1½-hour drive, or
five-hour bicycle ride to circumnavigate the
island along Queen’s Hwy, which takes in
Cockburn Town (p217) and United Estates
 216 S A N S A LVA D O R www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com S A N S A LVA D O R • • C o c k b u r n T o w n 217

SAN SALVADOR
A B
INFORMATION
Bank of the Bahamas..............................1
BaTelCo..................................................2
1 Government Medical Clinic.....................3
J's Discount Drugs..................................4
Police Station..........................................5
Post Office.............................................6
San Salvador Cyber Centre.....................7
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Belmont Church......................................8 B6
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
0
0
4 km
2 miles
(p219); the main villages. Decaying, aban- COCKBURN TOWN
doned settlements illustrate the economic San Sal’s major settlement and administra-
C D hardships of inhabiting these islands. tive center, midway down the west coast,
B4
EATING
Bernie Storr Grocery Store....................23 D3
DRINKING
Club Arawak............................27 B3
San Sal offers excellent bird watching. is a motley affair comprising two parallel
B4 Fish Fry.................................................24 B5 Driftwood Bar & Lounge........(see 21) Ospreys or ‘chicken hawks’ are everywhere. roads crisscrossed by five narrow lanes.
B3
B4
Grocery Store.....................................(see 24)
Sunrise Lounge.....................................25 B4
Harlem Square Club.................28 B4
New Columbus Tavern...........(see 28)
The cays off the north shore are favored Tumbledown stone cottages and clapboard
B4 Three Ships Restaurant.........................26 B4 Stansheka Bar..........................29 B5 by boobies and other seabirds. Egrets and shacks in faded pastels mingle with new,
B4
B4 TRANSPORT
herons pick for food in the brine pools. often stylish houses squatting in unkempt
White Car Rental Agency...................30 B3 Besides diving and bird-watching, there’s yards picked at by goats and cockerels.
Cay Mail-Boat Dock....................... 31 D2
Mail-Boat Dock........................32 B4
not much to do. A 12ft plastic iguana guards the entrance
Rum Cay (p220), a small isle with beauti- to town where locals gather under the ‘Lazy

C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
Chicago Herald Monument.................... 9 D3 Riding Rock Resort Marina.......33 B4
Farquharson Plantation.........................10 C5
Gerace Research Center.......................11 C2
Catto Cay
ful beaches, lies 25 miles to San Salvador’s Tree,’ a gnarled almond tree whose shade is
Gaulin Cay
Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Church..(see 15) Green Cay southwest, while uninhabited Conception preferred for taking it easy.
ISLANDS

ISLANDS
Lucayan Indian Archaeological Site.......12 C5
New World Museum............................13 B3 Cut Island (p220) is a protected park northwest
2 Palmetto Grove Lucayan Indian
Archaeological Site............................14 B2
North
Point
Cay Man Head
Cay
of Rum Cay. Information
San Salvador Museum..........................15 B4 Graham’s 31
Columbia Wreck Bank of the Bahamas (%242-331-2237;
Solomon’s Hill...................................... 16 D2
Watling’s Castle...................................17 B6
Harbour
History h9am-3pm Fri)
11 16
Hw
y
Hanna Bay
San Salvador, meaning ‘holy savior,’ was be- BaTelCo (%242-331-2571)
n’s
SLEEPING
Club Med Columbus Isle.......................18 B3
14
Qu
ee Brice Memorial
Flamingo Park 23
stowed by Christopher Columbus on the Government Medical Clinic (%242-331-2105;
Ocean Blue House................................19 B3
Little
Lake United Estates first land he sighted in 1492. There is little h9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri)
Ocean View Apartments.......................20
Riding Rock Resort & Marina................21
B3
B4 North
Dixon Lighthouse evidence to support the entrenched claim J’s Discount Drugs (%242-331-2570)
Wandering Star Villa.............................22 B5 Victoria Hill
Run-the-Risk
Northeast
Arm Lake East Bay
that Columbus first landed here, a fact ac- Police (%242-331-2010) Also the island’s emergency
27 20
Northwest
Quicksands 24º05'N cepted as religiously as was the belief Co- number.
3 Sue Point
Bonefish Bay 13 Arm Lake East Beach lumbus set out to disprove, that the earth Post office (%242-331-2232)
Frascate Wreck
Bonefish
Bay Beach
was flat. San Salvador Cyber Centre (%242-331-2925)
19 Recent discoveries of Spanish artifacts are
Sights & Activities
Riding 18
Rock
Point
3 said to support the landfall claim, effectively
Cockburn Town Airport
6
30
Long
Storr’s
Lake
9 Crab debunked by National Geographic in 1986 The small San Salvador Museum, housed in the
21 Cay
33
5 Lake which convincingly concluded that Colum- old jail, has displays of Lucayan Indian re-
ATLANTIC 4 2
Cockburn
Town
7 1
Little bus first landed at Samana Cay. However, mains and Columbus’ conquest of the New
32 15
OCEAN
26
Lake
Greens in 1989 yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnson re- World. Note the ceramic mural of Colum-
25 28 Bay
traced Columbus’ route using 15th-century bus. Ask for a key from the BaTelCo office.
4 instruments and ended up at…San Salva- The pretty pink Holy Saviour Roman Catholic
Granny’s
Lake
dor. Take your pick! Church (1992) was established by the Catho-
Telephone
Pole
lic Archdiocese of Nassau.
Fortune Hill
(ghost town) Dangers & Annoyances San Salvador has really fantastic diving;
Fernandez Bay Industrial strength bug spray is in order some of the best in the Bahamas. There are
South Victoria Hill
Sugar Loaf Beach Great Lake (ghost town) at dusk and dawn, and a warning: beaches more than 20 miles of vertical walls, which
Guanahani
Landfall Park Long Bay 10
12
are infested with no see ’ums, the vicious begin as little as 40ft below the surface.
29 24º00'N sand flies so tiny that you never see them, Try some of these dive sites; Frascate, a
24
Sugar Loaf
Pigeon
Creek
but with appetites that would embarrass a 261ft-long ship sunk in 1902 lies just 20ft
5 fast-food chain. Try the mariners’ solution; down. Also Rum Cay Wall, which drops from
Stouts
Long Bay Lake Avon Skin So Soft. 40ft to eternity. Nearby are remains of the
22 Old Place
(ghost town)
Also be careful if you explore the brush HMS Conqueror, a 19th-century British steam-
Sand Bay
areas. There are quick sands as well as poi- powered battleship. Telephone Pole, begins at
sonwood and manchineel trees. 45ft. At 100ft a wall decorated with large
Fishing purple sponges and plate coral is also at-
wy
ATLANTIC Getting There & Around tractive to large pelagics.
e n’
s
H
OCEAN Most visitors fly into Cockburn Town Air- Snorkel sites include Flower Gardens, where
ue Snow Bay
17 Q Snow Bay Beach port, a spit away from the town itself, while scattered coral heads feature caves for explor-
8
6 Grotto others arrive by mail boat. There are taxis, ing, and Natural Bridges, where a reef formation
Beach Rd Blackwood
ff
cli
Sa
nd Bay
High Cay
but you may avail yourself of airport trans- has natural arches. There’s also Sandy Point,
Sandy Point
French
Bay High Cay Land Hinchinbrook Wreck
Porus Cay fers courtesy of your lodgings. Those plan- one of the best sites, and Staghorn Reef, where
& Sea Park
Black Forest Low Cay
ning to explore the island should collect a you’ll find star and staghorn corals aplenty,
74º35'W 74º30'W 74º25'W
rental car at the airport. as well as heaps of other marine life.
 218 S A N S A LVA D O R • • C o c k b u r n T o w n
Riding Rock Resort & Marina (below)
offer one-, two- and three-tank dives ($50/
70/90), a special deal of 18 dives in six days
($360) and snorkeling ($20). This very well-
reputed outfit is popular with divers.
Island Venture Fishing Charters (%242-331-2306)
run a deep-sea fishing trips (half-/full-day
$500/800) for a maximum of four people.
Tours
Both lodgings listed below also offer tours,
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
but head for Lagoon Tours first – they focus
on the island’s environment and beauty,
ISLANDS
and they seem to really know their stuff.
Lagoon Tours (%242-359-4520; www.lagoontours
bahamas.com) runs guided walks and combined
hiking and kayaking tours with informed
and enthusiastic guides. Try the fascinating
trip that takes in bush-medicine plants, an
old plantation and lake-kayaking ($70), a
bird-watching leisure hike through Watling’s
Castle to spot thrush, warblers, osprey and
herons (prices upon application), and lagoon
tours ($80) with a peaceful boat-ride along
beaches to beautiful lagoons and a visit to the
iguanas of Low Cay.
Riding Rock Resort & Marina (below)
offer excursions to the Exumas and the Low
and High Cays to see iguanas and osprey.
Sleeping & Eating
Riding Rock Resort & Marina (%242-331-2631;
www.ridingrock.com; Cockburn Town; standard/ocean-view
$114/140;pnas) This friendly and mod-
ern resort is loved by divers, and is very
popular; book ahead! Sparkling white rooms
with tiled floors are spotlessly clean and
have either beach or poolside views. There’s
a nearby beach, tennis court, convivial beach-
side bar and restaurant serving scrumptious
Bahamian and US cuisine (advise ahead if
you’re vegetarian). Diving trips and tours are
on offer, as are rental cars ($85) and bicycles
(half-/full-day $6.50/10).
Wandering Star Villa (per week $990; pa) Ask
locally about renting this two-bedroom in-
formal blue bungalow which sits right on the
beach and sleeps four. It’s pet-friendly and
comes with all mod-cons (including music
and bicycles); a real home away from home.
Club Med Columbus Isle (%242-331-2000; www
.come2clubmed.com/columbus_isle.htm; r per week $1665;
pnas) This huge beachside resort is
definitely geared towards French guests
who want to party. The low-slung resort
www.lonelyplanet.com
displays exotic antique art and units have
custom-fashioned furniture and mod-cons.
Tennis courts, a fitness center, water sports
and other recreational activities including
diving trips are on offer, and there’s much
lively nocturnal entertainment.
Three Ships Restaurant (%242-331-2787; mains
$10-18; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner, closed Sun) This
clean and tidy place serves boil’ fish and
grits for breakfast, along with meat and fish
burgers.
Sunrise Lounge (Queen’s Hwy) This place south
of town also serves meat and fish burgers
and fried chicken, as does the Friday Fish Fry
(%242-331-2051) at Long Bay and New Colum-
bus Tavern (%242-331-2788).
For nightlife, head to the Driftwood Bar &
Lounge (located at Riding Rock Resort, left),
exhibiting driftwood autographed by visi-
tors from the ’50s. Now visitors leave be-
hind business cards and T-shirts. Another
fave is the Harlem Square Club (%242-331-2777),
which serves traditional food, has rap and
dance nights on weekends, and lots of clat-
tering dominoes during the day.
Buy groceries at Bernie Storr Grocery Store
(%242-331-2512; United Estates).
Getting There & Away
AIR
See p288 for information on international
flights to the Bahamas.
San Salvador is served by Cockburn Town
Airport (ZSA; %242-331-2919), adjacent to town.
The following airlines fly between the
Biminis and other Bahamian islands.
Bahamasair (UP; www.bahamasair.com) Freeport
(%242-352-8341); Nassau (%242-377-5505) Hubs
Freeport and Nassau.
Cat Island Air (%242-377-3318; fax 242-377-3723);
Hub Nassau.
Southern Air (%242-367-2498; www.southernair
charter.com) Hub Nassau.
Flights from Nassau to San Salvador Island
($80, one-way) operates three times a week.
BOAT
Call the Dockmaster’s Office (%242-394-1237,
Nassau) and check the Bahamas Ministry of Tour-
ism (%242-302-2034; www.bahamas.com) for the
latest schedules and prices.
MV Lady Francis ($45, 18 hours) mail boat
departs Nassau for San Salvador and Rum
Cay on Tuesday, returning on Sunday.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Marina
Boaters and pilots arriving from abroad
must clear Immigration (%242-331-2100) in
Cockburn Town.
Riding Rock Resort & Marina (opposite)
has 11 busy slips and facilities; book ahead.
Getting Around
Riding Rock Resort & Marina (opposite)
provides complimentary transport to and
from the airport for its guests, while Club
Med Columbus Isle (opposite) charge $10.
Cars can be hired for about $80 per day,
and the rental agencies are based in Cock-
burn Town. Riding Rock Resort & Marina
hires bicycles for $6.50/10 per day and cars
for $85 per day. For cars, also try C&S Car
Rental (%242-331-2714) and D&W Rent-a-Car
(%242-331-2184).
For taxi services, try Livingstone Williams
Taxis (%242-331-2025).
NORTHWEST COAST
The Gerace Research Center (%242-331-2520;
www.geraceresearchcenter.com; Graham’s Harbour) pri-
marily hosts scientific conferences and field
courses for student groups. Scientists also
run a coral reef monitoring project. Visitors
are welcome.
Checkout the public and fab Bonefish Bay
Beach, via North Victoria Hill, and the tiny
New World Museum, displaying Lucayan In-
dian artifacts.
Graham’s Harbour is good for swimming.
A Columbus Day Homecoming and party is tra-
ditionally held here on Discovery Day (Oct-
ober 12) along with the annual Columbus Bay
Regatta. The Columbia, wrecked in 1980, lies
off North Point.
Elderhostel (US %877-426-8056; www.elderhos
tel.org) offers 12-day springtime geographical
study trips of San Salvador for lively folks
over 60 years old. Check with the organiza-
tion for rates.
Earthwatch (US %978-461-0081; www.earthwatch
.org) houses volunteers for its program to pre-
serve San Sal’s reef at the Gerace Research
Center. It needs volunteer divers. You’ll
snorkel four or five hours daily and make
observations about coral health. It has three
trips annually (from $1895).
Cliff Fernandez (%242-331-2676; a) rents
out three modern air-con cottages. Or
you can rent the three-bedroom Ocean Blue
House (%/fax 242-331-2306; sansal.house@wanadoo.fr;
S A N S A LVA D O R • • N o r t h w e s t C o a s t 219
r per day/week $190/1170; pna) on a rocky
perch about a mile north of Club Med. The
house has an exquisitely decorated lounge
with cathedral ceiling, a vast porch and a
19ft fishing boat (Floyd, the skipper, can
take you fishing or lobstering).
Club Arawak, next to the New World Mu-
seum, serves the usual fried chicken and
fish dishes and does double duty as the local
nightspot.
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R
NORTHEAST COAST
The east shore is lined with lonesome
ISLANDS
beaches, including the rosy-pink 5-mile-
long East Beach.
In United Estates (locally called ‘U-E’),
look for the blue house, Solomon’s Hill, deco-
rated with dozens of plastic buoys.
U-E is pinned by the magnificent old
Dixon Lighthouse (h9am-noon & 2-5pm). From
the balcony, there is a fabulous panoramic
view of the entire island.
The weather-worn Chicago Herald Monu-
ment to Columbus stands at the south end
of East Bay.
SOUTHEAST COAST
This area was once the center of cotton and
citrus plantations. The most notable ruins
are Farquharson Plantation (1820s).
Pigeon Creek is an 8-mile-long ecologi-
cal treasure (baby sharks swim here) that
opens to the ocean at Snow Bay. There’s an
unmarked Lucayan Indian archaeological site at
the northern end of Pigeon Creek.
Don’t miss breathtakingly beautiful Snow
Bay Beach where you can be alone with the
gentle lapping of the waves and the cry of
sea birds. The road runs inland from the
shore for most of the way, passing a series
of smelly salt lakes.
High Cay Land & Sea Park protects High
Cay, Porus Cay and Low Cay, which are
important nesting sites for ospreys, boo-
bies and other seabirds. Endangered igua-
nas also cling to Low Cay. The reefs have
claimed several ships, notably the Hinchin-
brook (1913), a wreck that is much favored
by scuba divers.
SOUTHWEST COAST
Fernandez Bay and Long Bay are lined by
beautiful Sugar Loaf Beach while the penin-
sula’s leeward shore is fringed by beautiful
Grotto Beach and several caves.
 © Lonely Planet Publications
220 S A N S A LVA D O R • • R u m C a y www.lonelyplanet.com

Founded by a Loyalist settler, and named
for the pirate; Watling’s Castle ruins sit atop a
hill with good sea views.
There’s a grocery store and the Stansheka Bar
(Queen’s Hwy) in Sugar Loaf, half a mile south of
Guanahani Landfall Park.
Two Sisters Take-A-Way sells fresh bread and
chicken, and there’s Last Chance Convenience
Store (%242-331-2806; King St). There is also
police and BalTelCo office (%242-331-2871).
See p218 for details of mail-boat stops
at the cay.

RUM CAY CONCEPTION ISLAND

This 10-mile-long isle is lined by stunning This 3-mile-long, uninhabited, speck on
beaches and the entire isle is fringed with the map is rimmed with reefs. It is approxi-
coral. The HMS Conqueror (1861), a 101-gun mately 25 miles southeast of Cat Island
C AT & S A N S A LVA D O R

British man o’ war, sank in 30ft of water and it’s protected as the Conception Island
off Signal Point. National Park by the Bahamas National
ISLANDS

The only settlement is Port Nelson. The rest Trust (p74).

of the isle is a virtual wilderness of rolling
hills browsed by feral cattle and donkeys.
There’s a post office, police station (%242-
331-2807) and BaTelCo office (%242-331-2871) in
Port Nelson. For lodgings call Constable
Ted Bain and Hermie at Ocean View Restaur-
ant (%242-331-2818), which is recommended
for basic Bahamian fare. Call ahead on VHF
Channel 16 for dinner reservations.
The island is an important nesting site
for endangered green turtles as well as
migratory seabirds, particularly boobies,
which give their name to Booby Cay, east of
the island.
Divers who enjoy deep dives will enjoy
ferreting around the Black Forest Wreck
spotting turtles, hammerhead sharks and
eagle rays.

© Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
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the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’
 © Lonely Planet Publications
221

Southern Bahamas
Head for Long Island, the Crooked Island District and the Inaguas, and you will be surprised
and delighted. There are clear sparkling seas, huge blue holes and perfect reefs for snorkeling
and diving. Deserted beaches and striking azure bays invite days of splashing around in
the sea, picnics and walks along sugar-soft sands. Vast scrub and forested lands entice all
manner of birds, and occasional hikers and bird-watchers to wander in the wilderness.

The Crooked and Acklin Islands are renowned for Christopher Columbus’ visit. He named
Crooked the ‘Fragrant Island,’ where the aromas of herb and Cascarilla bark impregnate the air
(and flavor Campari’s liquor). Inagua’s parklands are striking, with flying pink clouds of flamin-
gos emerging at dusk and dawn. The age-old Bahamian industry of ‘white gold’ production is
alive and well on this island, where huge hills of glittering salt are exported worldwide.

Long Island, the most developed and populated island of this group is dotted with pretty

SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
villages, which are accentuated by vivid flowering shrubs. Roadside schools fill with chatter-
ing, waving and giggling children during lesson breaks. Clusters of immaculate tiny Gothic
churches gleam in the sunlight, marking settlements across the island.

This is a charming and happy place to visit and explore. Discover ancient Arawak draw-
ings and blinking bats in a string of covert caves or the faded grandeur of old plantation
ruins. Venture into genial local eateries and bars for a chat, beer and a bite of crispy fish,
or down bumpy sideroads to those tranquil bays of pleasure.

HIGHLIGHTS
Long Island
! Dance to goombay music and toast the Guana Key
handmade boats racing at the Long Island
Regatta (p226)
Crooked
! Eat and sleep like a very comfortable Robin- Island
son Crusoe in a beach hut on the ocean at Chez
Pierre Bahamas (p225) on Long Island
! Head for gorgeous Long Island’s Guana Key (p226)
to snorkel a wreck and visit the snoozing iguanas of
deserted Guana Key Island, just a short splash away
! Dive Crooked Island’s wreck, the Million Dollar Mistake
(p231) where maybe the odd quarter still lies
! Marvel at the garish and leggy supermodels of the bird world,
flamingos at Bahamas National Trust Park (p237)
Bahamas
National
Trust Park

! TELEPHONE CODE: 242 ! POPULATION: 4957 ! AREA: 1179 SQ MILES

 222 L O N G I S L A N D • • N o r t h L o n g I s l a n d www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com L O N G I S L A N D 223

LONG ISLAND in large groves of bananas and rows of corn LONG ISLAND 0 20 km
0 12 miles
(especially around Deadman’s Cay), in stock-
Exuma A B C D
rearing, and in cultivation of vegetables and Sound
12
Caves
Newton Cay
pop 2978 pineapples in limestone potholes. You still 23º40'N Columbus Harbour
Seymours
INFORMATION SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
BaTelCo.....................................1 A3 Adderley Plantation....................9 A1
This is one of the prettiest Family Islands; can see wooden sailing dinghies being made Comberbach
Wreck 27 41 BaTelCo...................................(see 5) Bonafide Bonefishing................10 A1
61
a 2-mile wide narrow strip that stretches by hand in fishing villages on the island. 1 Gaillot Cay Glinton
Grouper Valley Government Complex..............(see 5) Cartwrights Caves....................11 B3
49 Government Medical Centre..(see 30) Columbus Memorial.................12 A1
for 60 miles. Follow the solitary road, the Cape
Santa Maria 40
Burnt Ground Medical Clinic.............................2 B2 Dunmore Plantation.................13 D5
Queen’s Hwy past plantation ruins, stun- Getting There & Away 10 Medical Clinic........................(see 57) Father Jerome Church.............. 14 D6

un n

Lo
So linto
d
38 Ocean View Dr

ve
Police Station.............................3 A3 Father Jerome Church.............. 15 D5
ning white and sky-blue Gothic churches, Visitors fly to Stella Maris Airport at the

G
9

Be
Shark Reef 7 Police.......................................(see 5) Father Jerome Church.............. 16 D5

ac
Stella Maris
lush greenery, pretty villages brimming with northern end of the island or Deadman’s Cay Police.......................................(see 4) Gray’s Plantation..................... 17 C4

he
60

bougainvillea and pastel-colored school-
yards full of curious and happy children.
You’ll also come to a myriad of magnifi-
cent bays, blue holes, and miles and miles of
beach. The island’s inhabitants live in about
35 settlements, growing bananas and rows
of corn, along with vegetables and pine-
apples. On the east shore, Atlantic rollers
crash against dramatic cliffs and offshore
Airport in the middle, or take the mail boat
from Nassau to Clarence Town, Deadman’s
Cay, Salt Pond and Seymours.
Getting Around
You’ll need your own transport if you want
to explore the island. Car hire companies
are based at Deadman’s Cay Airport (look
left, right and up before crossing the plane’s
s
Adderley 4 Stella Maris Post Office.................................4 B2 Hamilton’s Cave...................... 18 C4
Point
48
Millertons 53
Airport Post Office.................................5 C5 Jail.........................................(see 24)
Post Office.............................(see 30)
Post Office.............................(see 24)
Long Island Library & Museum..19 C5
Reeldivers.................................20 B3
O’Neill’s
Royal Bank of Canada................6 C4 St Athanatius Church............... 21 C4
Tropic of Cancer Deal’s Beach
Scotiabank..................................7 B1
Scotiabank.................................8 A3
St Joseph’s Anglican Church.....22 B3
St Paul’s Anglican Church........ 23 D5
2 Simms 24
St Peter's Anglican Church.......24 B2
St Peter’s Catholic Church....... 25 C5
2
44
SLEEPING
Bahamian Mood Vacation
Wemyss
39
50 Rentals.................................26 C5
Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort..27 A1

Qu
Chez Pierre Bahamas................28 B3
reefs, while the west coast consists of a landing strip to reach the car rental places), 28

ee
Constantakis Bay View

n's
33
string of shallow bays. In late spring hun- and north of the island towards Stella Maris 0
0
2 km
1 mile
Hw
y
Appartments........................ 29 C5
Ellen's Inn................................30 A3
dreds of yellow butterflies appear. Resort & Marina. Car insurance is not gen- 3
58
Deadman’s Cay
Thompson
Bay 43
McKann’s
Greenwich Creek Lodge........... 31 A3
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS

SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
The northern tip of the island is her- erally on offer. 42 Airport
45
22
20 Keva's Villas.............................32 A3
King’s Bay Resort......................33 B3
3 55
alded by a monument to Columbus, while Remember when receiving directions that 1 32
56
54
Salt Pond Lochabar Beach Houses........... 34 D5
Deadman’s Cay
caves that once were home to the Lucayans everyone here says ‘up south’ and ‘down 37
30
36 Guana Key
Lochabar Beach Lodge............. 35 D5
Seaview Lodge.........................36 B3
and pirates are now occupied by families north,’ the opposite of what you might 8
Cartwrights 51
Pinders
46
Smith & Well’s Bonefish Lodge..37 A3
of myopic bats. expect. 31
Stella Maris Resort Club...........38 A1
Sunshine Real Estate..............(see 56)
11
This pristine diving paradise has un- 59 The Bight

tapped treasures, such as the newly dis- NORTH LONG ISLAND

covered Neuritis Wall that drops off the The north of the island is certainly worth Grays

Bahamas Banks, and the fast-paced action exploring, from the Columbus Memorial 17
of Shark Reef is justifiably acclaimed. For to the vivid jade-colored seas which prof- Great Bahama New Found 6 ATLANTIC OCEAN
4 Harbour
those who prefer to eat fish rather than fer great snorkeling and diving. Take insect Bank
21

commune with them, the island also has spray – mosquitoes and sand flies up this Sandy Cay
See Enlargement
23º10'N
top fishing year-round. end of the island get pretty hungry at dawn
The highlight of the island’s festivities and dusk. Mangrove Bush
is May’s Long Island Regatta, held at Salt EATING 18 Blue
Pond. Stella Maris Adderley Supply......................(see 4)
Anca’s Away Restaurant..........39 B2
Fishing Pettys 29 Turtle Hole
19 Cove 5 23 57
The upscale residential community of Stella Burnt Ground Convenience 47

History Maris stretches for about a mile along the

Store....................................40 A1
Coco's Restaurant & Lounge..(see 29)
Deans 25
Clarence
34
35
Lochabar Bay

The Lucayan Indian caves (they called this
island Yuma) have yielded duhos (wooden
seats) that archaeologists believe suggest
chieftainship and ceremony, and zemi figur-
ines bearing religious connotations. To the
south, the island – Columbus’ ‘Fernandina’ –
ends at Cape Verde, where Columbus sup-
posedly anchored on October 24, 1492.
A large percentage of Bahamians on the
island are descendants of the 18th-century
Loyalists. The colonists established a plan-
coast amid palms and scrub. Dominating
the area is the Stella Maris Resort Club &
Marina (p224).
INFORMATION
Government Medical Clinic (%242-338-8488)
Located at Simms.
Police (%242-338-2222; Stella Maris Airport)
Post office (%242-338-2010; Stella Maris Airport)
Scotiabank (%242-338-2057; h9:30am-1pm
Mon-Thu, 9am-5pm Fri)
Geraldine's Jerk Pit.................(see 39)
Harbour Grocery....................(see 47)
Town
26 13
5 52 Dunmore
Harbour Restaurant, Bar &
Satellite Lounge..................(see 47)
HSC Groceries........................(see 56) TRANSPORT
15
Hard Bargain
Icecream Parlour.......................41 A1 Flying Fish Marina..................(see 47)
16
23º00'N J&M Food Store.......................42 A3
King's Bake & Snack Shop........43 B3
Gas Station...............................53 B2
Gas Station...............................54 B3
Mario's Blue Chip Gas Station..............................55 A3 Roses Little
Harbour
Restaurant & Bar................. 44 B2
Max’s Conch Bar & Grill...........45 A3
Gas Station............................(see 24)
Gas Station............................(see 47)
Midway Inn.............................46 C3 Inell Ditez...............................(see 40)
Outer Edge Grill & Bar............. 47 D5 Mail-Boat Dock........................56 B3
Potcakes Bar............................48 A2 Mail-Boat Dock....................... 57 D5 Cabbage Point
Pratt’s Restaurant & Bar...........49 A1 Millander's Auto Sales............(see 47) Cabbage Point Beach
Great
Lake
6 Stella Maris General Store........(see 4) Mr T Car Rentals......................58 A3 Mortimers
Windell’s Take-Away...............50 B2 Ophelia's Rent-a-Car.............(see 58)
14

tation system as viable as any in the archi- Shell Gas Station......................59 A3

DRINKING Stella Maris Marina..................60 A1
pelago. Uniquely, sheep-rearing remained SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Hillside Tavern.........................51 A3 Swift Car Rentals...................(see 39) Gordons

profitable well into last century, and a few The remote Columbus Memorial, a 15ft-tall The Forest............................... 52 D5 Williams Car Rentals................61 A1 Cape Verde
Crooked Island Passage
sheep remain. Farming, too, endures today stone obelisk, sits at the northern tip of 75º20'W 75º10'W 75º00'W
 224 L O N G I S L A N D • • N o r t h L o n g I s l a n d
Long Island, bearing a plaque dedicated
to ‘the peaceful aboriginal people of Long
Island and to the arrival of Christopher Co-
lumbus.’ The views and snorkeling around
the headlands are stunning. Be careful on
the mile-long rocky path that leads to the
monument from Seymours.
The 3-mile-long Galliot Cay peninsula is
linked to Long Island by a narrow spit with
mangrove creeks, a gorgeous beach and tur-
quoise shallows. Snorkeling is especially good
at the reef gardens at the southern end.
The area’s best beaches are the four pink-
sand Love Beaches (the first has a shallow
‘pool’ perfect for small children). Head for
Ocean View Dr.
The ruins of Adderley Plantation are smoth-
ered in vegetation, as are the graves in the
slaves’ cemetery.
At the shores of Columbus Harbour, a shal-
low bay lined with mangroves, you can
cross the narrow tidal creek on a footbridge
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
to reach Newton Cay, a small island with a
beach on the Atlantic shore. There are caves
around the headland to the north.
Stella Maris Resort Club & Marina (below)
offers two-tank dives (without/with gear,
$85/125) and resort courses (from $100).
The resort also offers water-skiing for $40
and rents boats ($350 for a 27-footer).
Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort (% 242-
338-5273; www.capesantamaria.com) offers div-
ing (two-tank dives $85) and snorkeling
($45), and rents water sport, scuba and
snorkeling equipment. They also offer
bonefishing (half-/full-day $200/250), reef
fishing (half-/full-day $450/600), as well as
deep-sea fishing (half-/full-day $550/800)
for up to six people.
Guided bonefishing is offered by Bonafide
Bonefishing (%242-338-2035; www.bonafidebonefish
ing.com; Queen’s Hwy, Burnt Ground) and its owner
‘Docky’ Smith is one of the best local guides
on the island, and has taken out John Gri-
sham, Laurence Fishburne and Michael
Keaton of novel and Hollywood fame.
Fly-fishing lessons are on offer (per hour
$60) as well as bonefishing (half-/full-day
$300/350). A reef-fishing boat can be hired
(full-day $475) and rates are available for
snorkeling and sight-seeing tours.
SLEEPING & EATING
Stella Maris Resort Club & Marina (%242-338-
2051; www.stellamarisresort.com; Stella Maris; r $135;
www.lonelyplanet.com
pnas) The ocean views are stunning
from this comfortable and well-equipped
old plantation, now a resort, dotted with
palm groves and modern, breezy and de-
lightful hillside apartments. The beach isn’t
the best but a cabana on the gorgeous Cape
Santa Maria beach and shuttle service makes
up for it. The relaxed and informal club-
house serves a range of cuisines and the bar
has some entertainment on each night. Free
facilities include snorkel trips, small boats,
bicycles, movies and lots of water sports.
The resort hosts a Saturday night dance with
live music, plus uses a cave as a nightclub on
Monday night, with a barbecue and dancing
to a rake ’n’ scrape band (percussion music
using household objects).
Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort (%242-338-
5273; www.capesantamaria.com; Cape Santa Maria; r $285;
pnas) Made for romancing couples
of any age, these deluxe cottages are su-
perb. Cool, restful and tropical they open to
screened porches facing the beach. A wooden
walkway leads to an airy and handsome
two-tier restaurant and bar in gingerbread
plantation style and offering vast views. Free
facilities include catamarans, sailboats, sail-
boards, volleyball, diving, and snorkeling.
Fishing can be arranged. The resort has its
own private airstrip and charters.
Pratt’s Restaurant & Bar (%242-338-7051; Burnt
Ground) To dine with locals and a cut-out of
Miss Bacardi (you’re warned) try this place;
it serves Bahamian seafood and regional
dishes.
Potcakes Bar (%242-338-2018; Stella Maris) This
place is next to the Stella Maris Marina. It has
an upscale restaurant, and a bar by night.
There’s an ice cream parlor at the north
end of Glinton.
You can stock up your kitchen at the
Stella Maris General Store, Adderley Supply or
the Burnt Ground Convenience Store (Burnt Ground).
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Please refer to p288 for information on
international flights to the Bahamas and
Long Island.
Stella Maris Airport serves north Long
Island and Deadman’s Cay Airport is best for
the middle and south Long Island.
Bahamasair (UP; www.bahamasair.com; hubs Freep-
ort & Nassau) Freeport (%242-352-8341); Nassau (%242-
377-5505) has daily flights from Nassau to
www.lonelyplanet.com
Stella Maris and Deadman’s Cay (both $85
one-way).
Stella Maris Resort Club & Marina (oppo-
site) offers private plane charters for hotel
guests only from January 5 to December 21.
From Nassau, it costs $110 to fly one-way
and, from Exema, it costs $80 one-way in
conjunction with your hotel booking.
Boat
Please contact the Dockmaster’s Office (%242-
393-1064) at Potter’s Cay in Nassau to confirm
mail-boat schedules. Customs and Immigration
(%242-338-2012).
MV Mia Dean ($45 one-way, 12hrs) sails from
Nassau to Clarence Town on Tuesday.
MV Sherice M ($45 one-way, 15hrs) calls at Sey-
mours weekly from Nassau, also stopping
at Salt Pond and Deadman’s Cay.
Stella Maris Resort Club & Marina (op-
posite) is an official port of entry, and has a
full-service marina with boat yard and slips
for boats up to 70 feet.
GETTING AROUND
Matthias Pratt (%242-338-7051/7022) operates a
minibus charter service. He charges about
$150 for a ride for four people from Stella
Maris to Clarence Town, in the southern
part of the island. Matthias charges about
$25 to drive four people from Stella Maris
to the memorial.
Stella Maris Resort Club & Marina (op-
posite) rents cars for $75 a day plus mileage
which can add up to well over $100 as Queen’s
Hwy runs 60 miles north to south. They also
rent scooters (half-/full-day $30/46).
Williams Car Rentals (%242-338-5002; Glinton)
charges $65 daily, including unlimited mile-
age, and will deliver to Cape Santa Maria
Beach Resort.
Inell Ditez, in Burnt Ground, rents scoot-
ers for $40 daily; there is also a simple gas
station in Burnt Ground.
Stella Maris to Salt Pond
Queen’s Hwy runs south from Stella Maris
along the leeward shore. Deal’s Beach, has
fabulous snorkeling over a sea-fan garden.
You can follow a road east from here to
O’Neill’s, a tiny hamlet with two beaches that
also offer good snorkeling.
Simms, a quaint seaside hamlet about
10 miles south of Stella Maris, dates back
to the plantation era. It is dominated by
L O N G I S L A N D • • N o r t h L o n g I s l a n d 225
well-kept St Peter’s Anglican Church. The most
endearing structure is a prim little post of-
fice and, nudging up behind it, an equally
diminutive jail still bearing the sign ‘HER
MAJESTY’S PRISON.’
South of Simms, the road moves inland
until it touches the shore again at Thompson
Bay, about 5 miles further south. The bay is
scenic, but far more spectacular is the one
at McKann’s, about half a mile east; turn east
at the sign for King’s Bay Resort.
SLEEPING & EATING
Chez Pierre Bahamas (%242-338-8809; www.baha
mahouseinn.com; Simms; d $130; pnai )
Another hell-of-a-road leads you to this
piece of heaven. A stretch of tucked-away
beach contains chef Pierre’s home, res-
taurant and dining room. There are also
some modern and delightful wooden huts
on stilts overlooking the ocean. Who needs
mod-cons and TV? Dinner and breakfast
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
for two are included in these excellent
rates. Fall asleep after enjoying a delicious
pasta dinner to the sound of the sea. Bliss.
Hire cars and airport transfers can be
arranged.
King’s Bay Resort (%242-338-8945; fax 242-338-
8012; r $70; hlunch & dinner) This rundown place
enjoys a fabulous and breezy location atop
the dunes on the Atlantic shore north of
McKann’s. There’s a restaurant and bar
serving Bahamian food.
Just past Simms, you can grab a bite to
eat and drink at Mario’s Blue Chip Restaurant
& Bar (% 242-338-8106; h lunch & dinner), the
local hangout of choice that specializes in
seafood platters. For spicy chicken, try the
open-air Geraldine’s Jerk Pit (hlunch & dinner),
2 miles further south. The air-conditioned
Anca’s Away Restaurant (%242-338-8593; hlunch
& dinner), next door, serves steaks and
seafood.
If hunger gets the better of you, check out
either the very casual Windell’s Take-Away or
King’s Bake & Snack Shop (%242-338-8916; Queen’s
Hwy, McCann’s; h7am-6pm), simply the best bak-
ery on the island; Bahamians start troop-
ing in here early to grab daily specials like
yummy pineapple tarts, pumpkin bread
and hot savory patties.
Swift Car Rentals (%242-338-8533; Queen’s Hwy,
Simms) also rents cars (from $60 per day)
from their garage situated north of Dead-
man’s Cay.
 226 L O N G I S L A N D • • S o u t h L o n g I s l a n d
Salt Pond
Twenty miles south of Stella Maris, Salt Pond
is the main commercial node of the island,
despite its diminutive size. A small lobster
fleet is based here and a mail boat calls in
weekly (see p225). There’s a fish-processing
plant, major supply store (Harding’s Sup-
ply Store; HSC), and a gas station…about
the only place on the island that’s open on
Sunday.
The Royal Bank of Canada (%242-337-0100;
h9am-1pm Thu, 9am-5pm Fri) is 3 miles south of
Grays.
Just north of Salt Pond is St Joseph’s Angli-
can Church, enjoying a sublime setting on a
ridge above the beach and boneflats. Break
out your camera!
Immediately north of HSC supply store
(right), there is a road that leads east to the
Atlantic shore and a headland with blush-
pink beaches and a craggy, untouched shore-
line. You can hike trails that lead south for
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
several miles.
At Pinders, about 2 miles south of Salt
Pond, another road (this one is in appall-
ing condition) leads to Guana Key, a beau-
tiful, well-protected, shallow bay; Guana
Key Island is a short swim offshore. In
good weather you are able to snorkel over
the wreck of an old freighter in 15ft of
water.
The highlight of the island’s annual cal-
endar is the Long Island Regatta, held at Salt
Pond in mid-May. Sloops from throughout
the islands compete during the festive four-
day event.
ACTIVITIES
The snorkeling and diving here are simply
superb. Divers should head for Cape Santa
Maria Ship’s Graveyard or Grouper Valley where
thousands of these friendly (and possibly
endangered) fish gather to spawn every No-
vember. There is also Grouper Village, where
resident groupers and Brutus, a mammoth
jewfish, expect to be fed. Ocean Blue Hole, a
dramatic, ever-widening funnel, is worth
seeing. Some like the adrenalin of feeding
sharks at Shark Reef although this practice
is now widely frowned upon.
Snorkers should head for Coral Gardens –
Hawksbill turtles favor these awesome
caves, overhangs, and valleys – and Eagle
Ray Reef where rays flutter around guarded
by a friendly grouper. Flamingo Tongue Reef
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and Watermelon Beach are both favored by
countless species of corals and fish. Some
very experienced divers have set up shop
at Salt Pond, but they cover all the dive
sites.
Reel Divers (%242-338-0011; www.reeldivers.com;
Salt Pond) have two-tank dives ($125), snor-
kel trips (3 hours $50), kayak/snorkeling
trips (half-day $65) and underwater scoot-
ers ($35). Great-value dive-stay packages
are also available with this professional
friendly and highly recommended bunch.
SLEEPING & EATING
Seaview Lodge (%242-333-0100; Salt Pond; r $90;
pan) For great value you don’t need to
go further than these modern, clean white
and spacious apartments. Fully equipped
kitchens and comfy living areas in these
one- and two-bedroom lodgings make this
a bargain for couples or families.
The Midway Inn, 3-miles south of Salt
Pond at Pinders, has a fish-fry on Friday.
The large HSC (Harding’s Supply Centre; %242-
338-0333; Queen’s Hwy) store is very well stocked.
SOUTH LONG ISLAND
There is a lot to see and enjoy down this
end of the island, with caves, some gorgeous
beaches, and supposedly the world’s deep-
est blue hole (660ft) leading to a vast un-
derwater cavern and magnificent cove. The
soaring church spires of Clarence Town and
the dazzling Lochabar Bay with another vast
blue hole, white-sand beach and coral reefs
put another little piece of heaven within
your reach.
Deadman’s Cay Area
Deadman’s Cay is the site of another airport.
There is no discernible center to the town,
but Max’s Conch Bar & Grill is the next
best thing if you want friendly gossip and
information.
INFORMATION
Public phone booths can be found in most
villages and along Queen’s Hwy.
Ambulance, fire, police (%242-377-0999)
BaTelCo (%242-337-1337; Deadman’s Cay)
Government Medical Clinic (%242-337-1222;
Deadman’s Cay)
Post office (%242-337-1064; Deadman’s Cay)
Scotiabank (%242-338-2057; Deadman’s Cay;
h9am-1pm Mon-Thu, 9am-5pm Fri)
www.lonelyplanet.com
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
History buffs might enjoy the overgrown
ruins of Grays Plantation, 2 miles north of
Lower Deadman’s Cay near Grays.
Lower Deadman’s Cay is dominated by
St Athanatius Church, which dates from 1929.
Cartwrights Caves, near the settlement of
Cartwrights, immediately south of Dead-
man’s Cay, were once used by Lucayan
Indians. Harmless bats now live in the
150ft-long caves. They’re on a private prop-
erty, half a mile east of the main road. You’ll
see the sign. Hamilton’s Cave, at the hamlet of
Pettys, 4 miles southeast of Deadman’s Cay,
is 1500 feet long and is one of the larg-
est caves in the Bahamas. It, too, contains
bats, as well as stalactites, stalagmites, and
a stone walkway with salt water on one side
and fresh water on the other.
Reached from Queen’s Hwy by a side
road beginning at the Hillside Tavern, 1
mile south of Cartwrights, the fishing ham-
let of Mangrove Bush is a center for traditional
boatbuilding. Today the wooden vessels are
built exclusively for racing regattas.
The Long Island Library & Museum in Pet-
tys has a collection of photographs and ar-
tifacts (such as historic glass bottles) that
chronicle the island’s history and culture.
SLEEPING & EATING
There are also some fabulous rental proper-
ties on the island, just ask around or con-
tact Sunshine Real Estate (%242-338-0089; www
.sunshine-real-estate.com; Salt Pond).
Ellen’s Inn (%242-337-1086; Queen’s Hwy, Buck-
leys; s/d $75/90 pna ) This little white
bungalow is an immaculate and homely
guesthouse. A guest lounge is comfortably
furnished and even pastries and sweets are
put out for guests. The guest kitchen makes
this an affordable and good-value option.
Rates are inclusive of taxes and Ellen also
rents out cars for $60 per day.
Constantakis Bay View Apartments (%242-
337-0644; Pettys; r $70; pna) These attrac-
tive blue lodgings are again in a perfect
location for a fisherman in need for bed,
balcony and a beer. However, the comfort-
able kitchen, cable TV and two-bedroom
also makes this ideal for a family looking
for a quiet spot that overlooks the sea, al-
though there is not really a beach here.
Keva’s Villas (% 242-337-1054; Queen’s Hwy,
Deadman’s Cay; r $70; pna) Within walking
L O N G I S L A N D • • S o u t h L o n g I s l a n d 227
distance of Max’s Conch Bar & Grill, these
very plain but clean units are also good
value, comfortable enough and owned by
Mr T (who runs the car rentals; see below).
Rates include taxes.
Smith & Wells Bonefish Lodge (% 242-337-
1056; Queen’s Hwy; r $65; pna) Sitting on
the quiet edge of town, and adjacent to the
water, this is the place for fishing fans who
want nothing more than a simple but clean
place to kip, somewhere to gut and store
their fish, and a screened veranda for a beer
in the evening.
Max’s Conch Bar & Grill (%242-337-0056; www
.maxconchbar.com; Deadman’s Cay; mains $6-12; hlunch
& dinner) THE hot spot in town, everything
you need to know and want to share, you
can do whilst sitting around this circular
outdoor bar. A lively and convivial host is
well-matched by his customers and family.
Daily specials can satisfy the appetite while
good humor is enriching.
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
Coco’s Restaurant & Lounge (%242-337-6242;
Hamilton’s) This is a nice place to stop, and
serves daily specials of Bahamian dishes.
You can buy groceries at the J&M Food
Store (%242-337-1446), 400 yards north of the
BaTelCo office. On Sunday when the en-
tire island closes shop, you can buy basic
foodstuffs at the Shell gas station south of
Cartwright.
GETTING THERE & AROUND
For further information, please refer to
Getting There & Away, p224.
Mr T Car Rentals (%242-337-1054; Deadman’s Cay
Airport) rents good, reliable air-conditioned
vehicles from $60 per day. Remember to
look left, right and up, as you drive across
the airport’s runway to and from Mr T’s
residence!
Ophelia’s Rent-A-Car (%242-337-1042) is right
next door to Mr T, and offers cars for the
same rates.
Keep in mind that insurance is not on
offer at car rental places.
Local taxis meet the planes, and Ellen’s Inn
can supply a taxi service, although it’s more
convenient to hire a car to get around.
Clarence Town Area
The peaceful harbor settlement of Clarence
Town (population 1571) and its surrounds
are perfect for those seeking some solitude,
or a few quiet days living on a beach and
 228 L O N G I S L A N D • • S o u t h L o n g I s l a n d
pottering around. Long Island’s adminis-
trative headquarters is very quiet, and has
a lovely hillside setting that falls gently to
the clear and sparkling waters of the town’s
small harbor.
INFORMATION
Government Medical Clinic (%242-337-3333;
h9am-3:30pm Mon-Fri) Located near the mail-boat dock.
Police (%242-338-3919) Use this number for emergencies.
Post office (%242-337-3030) On the north side of
Clarence Town.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Even the spiritually unattached will be
inspired by the simple beauty of the two
churches that rise over the town; St Paul’s
Anglican Church and the sparkling white and
blue St Peter’s Catholic Church. Both were de-
signed by Father Jerome, the enigmatic
architect-hermit-cleric of Cat Island (see
p211). The first was designed prior to, and
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
the second after, his conversion to Catholi-
cism. You can climb the ladders within one
of its two medieval spires for a marvelous
bird’s-eye view.
Immediately east of town is Lochabar Bay,
a stunning half-mile-wide, flask-shaped
cove that funnels east to a vast blue hole. It is
rimmed by a splendid and lonesome white-
sand beach, surrounded on three sides by
dense thickets of thatch palm and scrub.
Coral reefs lie just offshore, with staghorn
coral at 30ft.
The 2-mile wide Turtle Cove near Deans,
has a fabulous beach and turquoise shallows.
Its real treasure, however, lies to the south-
east beyond a headland, where perhaps the
world’s deepest blue hole (660ft) leads to the
world’s eighth-largest underwater cavern.
The neck of the aquamarine hole opens to
a beautiful cove rimmed by gorgeous white
sands. Magnificent! Bring a picnic.
The turnoff from Queen’s Hwy is marked.
Turtle Cove also can be reached by a shore-
line trail from Mangrove Bush, north of
Pettys.
The sound west of Deadman’s Cay is su-
perb for bonefishing.
SLEEPING & EATING
Bahamian Mood Vacation Rentals (%242-337-
0056; www.bahamianmood.com; Clarence Town; r U$100;
pna) This colorful two-story house
contains four small units and a wrap-around
www.lonelyplanet.com
sundeck and has a startling white-sand
beach on its doorstep. Each pristine white-
and-navy apartment sleeps four, has com-
fortable furnishings and is just made for those
who love solitude. Weekly and monthly rates
are also excellent.
Lochabar Beach Lodge & Houses (%242-337-
0025, 242-337-6033; Clarence Town; r $130; pna)
This wonderfully lonesome and charming
lodge is a mile away from town at Lochabar
Bay. Spacious studio apartments and little
villas have sponge-painted wooden walls,
tile floors, a kitchenette, and wide French
doors that open to a patio facing the bay,
all with the beautiful white-sand beach just
a step or two away. Weekly rates are good
too. Highly recommended!
Greenwich Creek Lodge (%242-337-6278; www
.greenwichcreek.com; Clarence Town) One for the
really serious bonefisherman, the lodge
charges approximately $2500 per week for
very comfortable accommodation, meals
and bonefishing.
Outer Edge Grill & Bar (%242-337-3445; Flying
Fish Marina; mains $8-18; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner
Wed & Fri-Mon) Not a bad setting for this tiny
outdoor harborside bar and restaurant. The
food is quick and tasty, the rums are smooth
and the atmosphere relaxing.
Harbour Restaurant, Bar & Satellite Lounge
(% 242-337-3247; Lighthouse Point Rd; mains $7-20)
Another popular place to eat and drink; it
can get a bit smoky inside.
The Forest (%242-337-3287; mains $7-18) This
is a lurid-pink bar and restaurant that also
doubles as the areas hotspot with live music
and dancing at weekends. Checkout the
great seashell bar.
You can stock up with groceries in town
and at Harbour Grocery (%242-337-3934).
GETTING THERE & AROUND
For information on getting to Long Island,
please refer to Getting There & Away, p222.
Flying Fish Marina (%242-337-3430; flyfishmar
ina@batelnet.bs; Lighthouse Point Rd, Clarence Town) has
a 15-slip marina, provisions store, laundry,
bathrooms and showers, plus accommoda-
tions for sailors, and a bar and food.
Millander’s Auto Sales (%/fax 242-337-3227)
rents cars for around $65 per day.
Dunmore to Cape Verde
The final 15-miles of the Queen’s Hwy will
take you past three exquisite Father Jerome
www.lonelyplanet.com
churches, whitewashed and painted in trade-
mark blue, in Dunmore, Hard Bargain, and
Mortimers.
Also just north of the church at Dun-
more are the gates to some overgrown plan-
tation ruins, named for a former governor of
the Bahamas who had an estate producing
sisal, cotton, and pineapples. You can fol-
low a dirt track half a mile to the ruined
hilltop mansion.
The road then passes turnoffs for shell-
covered Cabbage Point Beach, some aban-
doned salt ponds and materially-desolated
villages including the aptly-named Hard
Bargain and quaint Roses, until it reaches
Gordons settlement. From here you can hike
the mile to Cape Verde, the island’s southern-
most point.
CROOKED ISLAND
DISTRICT
pop 342
Crooked Island District consists of Crooked
Island, Acklins Island, Long Cay, and outly-
ing Samana and Plana Cays. These south-
erly islands are not developed for tourism,
which is definitely part of their allure, but
they are also not wealthy. Electricity still
hasn’t reached many areas and the island’s
descendants still fish, tend the land, and
draw an income from stripping cascarilla
bark and selling it to the manufactur-
ers of Campari liquor (it is also used in
medicines).
But other adventurers have arrived: Cu-
bans and Haitians make the desperate run
for a new life, and, not infrequently, drug-
runners rush in aboard small planes to of-
fload bales of cocaine.
A 50-mile barrier reef rings the entire
island chain, offering drop-offs beginning
at about 50ft and plunging to 3600ft in the
Crooked Island Passage. Bring whatever
you need, especially diving, snorkeling or
fishing equipment. Make sure you pack
mosquito repellent; in summer the mosqui-
toes are ferocious.
History
Recent evidence suggests that Columbus
made Crooked Island his second New World
landfall (he named it Santa María de la Con-
C R O O K E D I S L A N D D I S T R I C T • • C r o o k e d I s l a n d 229
cepción after the Virgin Mary, although
there is no mention made of this on the isle
itself).
In the late 18th century the islands, like
their northern neighbors, were settled by
Loyalists from North America who at-
tempted to develop a cotton industry. By the
1830s depleted soils, weevils, and emancipa-
tion of the slave-labor workforce doomed
the plantations forever. The white landown-
ers left. The black laborers remained and
turned to subsistence fishing and farming.
Getting There & Around
Visitors mainly fly into the main airfield just
east of Colonel Hill, and Pittstown Point
Landing has its own 2000ft airstrip. A weekly
mail boat also brings people from Nassau.
A small passenger ferry runs between
Cove Point, Crooked Island, and Lovely Bay,
Acklins Island, twice daily. Other than that
you may be able to rent a car from a resident.
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
Ask your hosts for suggestions and bear in
mind that the daily rate is $80 to $90 per
day on some of the other islands. Likewise
ask your hosts about organizing a boat trip
to Long Cay.
CROOKED ISLAND
Spring on Crooked Island releases dozens of
fluttering, vividly colored butterflies, which
tentatively explore scrub and dense pockets
of woodland, while herons, ospreys, egrets,
mockingbirds, finches, wild canaries, hum-
mingbirds, and flamingos swoop over briny
lagoons and swamps. There is also a rugged
shoreline with deep inlets, sounds and many
lovely beaches on this isle. The island lies
about 250 miles-southeast of Nassau.
One main road runs along the north
shore and leads to Landrail Point and Colo-
nel Hill, the island’s main villages which
run on farming and fishing, a number of
generators and a lot of faith. About 60% of
the islanders are Seventh-Day Adventists
(the rest are Baptists and Presbyterians),
and a devout lot they are, too! From Friday
sundown to Saturday sundown, the island
comes to a virtual halt.
Colonel Hill Area
pop 240
The only major settlement of Colonel Hill
flanks a hill midway along the north coast.
The scrub-covered plain below slopes down
 230 C R O O K E D I S L A N D D I S T R I C T • • C r o o k e d I s l a n d www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com C R O O K E D I S L A N D D I S T R I C T • • C r o o k e d I s l a n d 231

CROOKED & ACKLINS ISLANDS & LONG CAY 0

0
12 km
7 miles The BaTelCo office (% 242-344-2590) is in Bat Caves lie 100yd inland from the shore,
Bird Rock Crooked Island Passage 74º10'W Samana Cay 74º00'W 73º50'W Church Grove and the medical clinic is in near Gordon’s Bluff near Gordon’s Beach.
Lighthouse A B (23mi: C D Landrail Point Community Clinic (fax 242-344-2345). They’re easily explored, the walking is level
Gun Bluff Gordon’s Bluff 22º50'N
see inset)
Pittstown 18
Point 13
9
Brine Pool
INFORMATION
BaTelCo..............................................1 B1
A few eateries and very basic guest- and there are stalactites in the depths.
27
20
Landrail Point Medical Clinic...............2 A1 houses exist here, but visitors mainly head Brine Pool is a lagoon, stretching from
Landrail
1 Point 15 2 Turtle Cripple Hill
Medical Clinic.....................................3 C3
Medical Clinic....................................4 D3
for Landrail Point. Landrail Point north to Pittstown Point,
Sound
11 8
Fishing Medical Clinic................................(see 19) You can buy groceries at the Cabbage Hill along whose shore several expats have built
Cabbage 1
Shell Beach
Hill
Major’s Cay Harbour True
Police Station...................................(see 5)
Post Office..........................................5 B1 Supermarket. modest homes, and seabirds, ospreys and
Blue
Crooked Island
Passage
Church Grove
22
6 Colonel Hill
Cove
Northeast
Point sometimes flamingos flock.
Bathing Beach 14 5
Colonel Hill
Major’s Cay
Point
GETTING THERE & AWAY Marine Farms, a salt farm on an island in
Airfield 25 Lovely 24
Chesters
The main airfield is 1½ miles east of Col- the midst of the pond, began life as a cotton
gh Bay
French Wells
onel Hill, and Pittstown Point Landing has plantation and a Spanish or British fort that

u
ro
10
its own 2000ft airstrip. is said to have managed a firefight with US

Th
Rat & Goat Cays 22º40'N

i ng
Crooked Island Bahamasair (UP; www.bahamasair.com; hubs Freeport warships in the War of 1812. Cannons still

Go
16
2 19
can be seen lying amid the ruins and salt

T he
Million Dollar
Mistake
Pinefield & Nassau) Freeport (%242-352-8341); Nassau (%242-377-
Acklins Island 5505) flies between Nassau and Colonel Hill pans. Great Hope House, about a mile south
21 Plana Cays
23 Long (14mi; twice weekly ($105 one-way), also stopping of Landrail Point, was once the centerpiece
Albert Town Cay see inset)
7
at Acklins Island. of a 19th-century plantation.
Crooked-Acklins
Contact the Potter’s Cay Dockmaster’s Office The lovely Shell Beach and Bathing Beach
Bank Blue Hole
Snug Corner
(%242-393-1064) in Nassau for mail-boat de- stretch south from Landrail Point for 7
Windsor
Creek
Point
parture times. miles to French Wells. Snorkeling is divine,
Mason’s
Point
Bay 4 MV United Star ($70 one-way, 18hrs) sails from with fabulous coral heads just below the
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS

SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
Bight of Acklins Fishing 22º30'N Nassau weekly, stopping at Acklins Island water. Alas, sharks are often present.
3
Fish Cay Golden Grove and Long Cay. For bonefishing guides, ask at Pittstown
Point Landings Hotel (%242-344-2507; www.pitts
Guana Cay
26
Spring Point Airfield
GETTING AROUND townpointlandings.com). Rates vary from (half-
Car rentals are organized on a haphazard day $200-400, full-day $500-700) for up to
3 Spring Point
Pompey Bay 17 basis, and may not be possible, but ask six people. Also try Elton ‘Bonefish Shakey’
Fishing
12
Mayaguana
around when booking accommodations or McKinney (%242-344-2507) and Derrick Ingra-
Jamaica
Cay
when you arrive. ham (%242-556-8769; half-/full-day $200/450).
Passage
Samana Same Scale
A small passenger ferry runs between Ask if the ferry can drop you off at the
Cay as Main Map Church Grove Landing, Crooked Island, old Landing’s Point ferry stop. The Captain
4 and Lovely Bay, Acklins Island, twice daily. may oblige.
Roker
Cay
Rocky
Point
SLEEPING
Casuarina Villas........................15 A1
Ask at the Land Rail Marina (%242-344-2676;
Plana Cays Gray's Point Bonefish Lodge....16 D2 Landrail Point) to see if any boats will take you SLEEPING & EATING
Nai’s Guesthouse.....................17 C3
Same Scale as Main Map Pittstown Point Landing Hotel..18 A1 to Long Cay (about $130, 30 minutes) or on Pittstown Point Landings Hotel (%242-344-2507;
Williamson's Guest House....... 19 D2 sightseeing trips. www.pittstownpointlandings.com; Landrail Point; s/d
Jim Point
EATING $105/115; pnai) The main lodge once
Salinas Point
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Market.....................................20 A1
Stephen Rose...........................21 A2
Landrail Point Area housed the Bahamas’ first post office, and
Salinas Point
Settlement
All Saints Church........................6 B1 This hamlet, 9 miles northwest of Colonel now houses a nice little library, bar and
South
Anglican Church........................7
Baptist Church............................8
A2
B1
TRANSPORT
Church Grove Landing .............22 B1
Hill, has a teeny harbor, a wealth of adja- restaurant (most guests take a meal-plan
5 Jamaica Bay Bluff
cent natural sights and most of the fun. The
Bat Caves...................................9 A1 Ferry Dock...............................23 A2
22º10'N Cannon Battery (Ruins)............10 A2 Ferry Dock...............................24 C2 mail boat calls here, and a sandy 4WD track
Great Hope House (Ruins)........11
Lucayan Indian Site..................12
A1
C4
Ferry Dock...............................25
Mail-Boat Dock........................26
C2
C3 leads north 1½ miles to Pittstown Point, the A MILLION DOLLAR MISTAKE
Castle Island
Castle Island
Marine Farms...........................13
St John’s Baptist Church...........14
A1
B1
Mail-Boat Dock, Land Rail
Marina.................................27 A1
northwestern tip of the island. This famous plane wreck is in 12ft of water
Lighthouse Mira Por Vos Passage
Crooked’s most impressive site is a about 50yd offshore Long Cay. The plane
small, coral-encrusted, sand-edged cay was on a drug run when it crashed at sea.
to a beach-rimmed bay. The village com- by African flame trees in Cabbage Hill, and a mile offshore from Pittstown Point. It Locals found a suitcase containing about
prises a few dozen ramshackle clapboard the small Baptist church, fronted by a tiny bell is pinned by a stately 115ft-tall Bird Rock $1,000,000. It was handed to an official
huts, emancipation-era houses, and pastel- tower in Cripple Hill. Lighthouse (1876), erected to guide ships from Nassau who, it seems, pocketed the
painted modern concrete homes. The only There are no banks in the Crooked through the treacherous Crooked Island money and went on to live the life of Riley.
building of note is St John’s Baptist Church, Island District. The post office (%242-344- Passage. The cay is a prime nesting colony Nowadays divers hoping for any crumbs of
atop the hill. 2526), beside the police (%242-344-2599) in the for snowy white terns and tropical birds, this hoard will find no money but a wealth
The road leads northwest 1½ miles to administration building in Colonel Hill, and is a five-minute boat ride from Pitts- of fish and marine-life instead.
the lime-green All Saints Church, surrounded may provide basic banking transactions. town Point.
 232 A C K L I N S I S L A N D www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com I N A G UA S & MAYA G UA N A 233

option) decorated with fishermen’s nets.
The rooms are shaded by coconut palms
and decorated in tropical pastels and face
onto to a splendid beach.
Diving, snorkeling, fishing, and volley-
ball, bicycle, and boat rental are on offer.
Casuarina Villas (%242-344-2197; Landrail Point;
$90-130) As well as leading diving expedi-
tions, the owner of these beachfront cot-
tages can organize car rental for guests. The
villas come with full kitchen facilities and a
deck, and are located around 1 mile from
Landrail Point.
There’s a local market in Landrail Point.
and salt industries. Flamingos wade in the
bight on the south side of the island and an
endemic subspecies of iguana inhabits two
tiny cays – Fish Cay and Guana Cay – that
lie 7 and 10 miles southeast of Long Cay.
In the 19th century Albert Town, also
called Windsor and the island’s only settle-
ment, was the main base in the archipelago
for transatlantic mail and freight ships hir-
ing and dropping off stevedores, or ‘coast
crew.’ Wild goats have taken over the ruins,
though the largest Anglican church south of
Nassau still stands.
locals scoop water from barrels, while their
earnings come from fishing and beating
bark for Campari.
Information
There is a Government Medical Clinic (%242-
344-3615) at Spring Point, plus a nurse in
Mason’s Bay (%242-344-3628) and a BaTelCo
(%242-344-3536) office at Spring Point.
Sights & Activities
A partially excavated Lucayan Indian site along
the shore of Pompey Bay, immediately
Archaeological digs led by the National
Geographic Society have found 10 Lucayan
sites (plus a Spanish earthenware vessel) and
an ancient causeway of conch shells.
PLANA CAYS
This string of small cays, beginning 15
miles east of Acklins Island, is a protected
reserve for endangered great iguanas and
estimated hutias (which resemble a guinea
pig); the Bahamas’ only endemic mammal.
No dogs are allowed ashore.

Colonel Hill to Cove Point

Follow the north shore to Major’s Cay, a ham-
let facing turquoise-jade waters rimmed by
a narrow yet splendid beach. Further east,
the road becomes a narrow track leading
to Cove Point, 12 miles east of Major’s Cay.
There’s nothing here but a tiny concrete
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
Stephen Rose (%242-344-3011) has a small gro-
cery store and acts as a bonefishing guide.
ACKLINS ISLAND
pop 435
Another place for those seeking a true
outpost is the undeveloped 45-mile-long
south of Spring Point, may have been the
largest Lucayan settlement in the Bahamas.
The only other site of interest is the remote
Castle Island Lighthouse (1867) at the southern
tip of the island.
The annual Acklins Homecoming & Regatta is
held during the first weekend of August.
The bonefishing is as good as it gets, as
the Bight of Acklins has more than 1000 sq
INAGUAS &
MAYAGUANA
This group consists of three islands; Great
Inagua (the southernmost Bahamian island)
is famous for a vast flamingo sanctuary and
salt industry, it also lies a spit away from

wharf where the ferry departs for Acklins
Island.
LONG CAY
This small island is separated by a mile-
wide channel from Crooked Island. Co-
lumbus, it seems, landed here on October
19, 1492. The explorer named the island
Isabela after the Spanish queen who funded
his jaunts to the New World.
The island was later known as Fortune
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
Acklins Island, separated from Crooked Is- miles of knee-deep water. Most hotels can Cuba and Haiti, and a long 325 miles from
land by a shallow passage called ‘The Going arrange fishing trips. Nassau. Little Inagua is a diminutive isle to
Through.’ Reefs lie offshore to the east and its northeast, while Mayaguana can rightfully
there are fabulous and lonesome beaches Sleeping & Eating be called one of the most lonesome of all
along the shores. Flamingos also inhabit Nai’s Guesthouse (%242-344-3089; r $65) Nai’s
the briny flats. Hiking fans should head has four rooms and offers meals by ap- INAGUAS & MAYAGUANA
for the hilly and rugged north and east pointment. Its restaurant has a bar with 0
0
40 km
20 miles
coasts. pool table and TV, and music keeps things 22º30'N
The main settlement is Spring Point, mid- humming along. Betsy Bay Mayaguana
Mayaguana Pirate's
way down the west coast. Public electricity Gray’s Point Bonefish Lodge (%242-344-3210; Well
Abraham
arrived in 1998, although plenty of homes r $65) This is another simple guesthouse in Passage Bay

Island and once boasted thriving sponging still use a small generator. To bathe, most Pinefield. Booby
Cay
Williamson’s Guest House (% 242-344-3210)
This family also rents rooms.
COLUMBUS STOOD HERE Head to Spring Point and Cabbage Hill 22º00'N
No one (except perhaps residents of the Turks and Caicos) disputes that Columbus’ first landfall for groceries.
Caicos
in the New World in 1492 was in the Bahamas. But the question of which island he landed on has BAHAMAS
aroused considerable controversy. Nine first landfalls have been proposed, although, incredibly, Getting There & Around Passage

no one had taken into account ‘dead reckoning’ – the cumulative effect of current and leeway Please refer to the Getting There & Away,
(wind-caused slippage) on a vessel’s course – in tracing the route of the round-bottomed fleet. p231, for flight and boat information on
In November 1986, following five years of extensive study by Joseph Judge and a team of schol- getting to the island.
arly interests under the aegis of the National Geographic Society, National Geographic magazine The airfield is immediately northeast of
announced that it had solved the ‘grandest of all geographic mysteries.’ Judge ordered a new Spring Point. 21º30'N
Little Inagua

translation of the Columbus diaries, drew the first-ever track of the log, then input all the variables The government operates a passenger
into a computer to adjust for leeway, current, and magnetic variation, and traveled to the islands ferry from Cove Point (Crooked Island) to
to find actual evidence. Judge’s team also was the first to track Columbus’ course using the Span- Lovely Bay, 3 miles west of Chesters, twice
ish league (2.82 nautical miles), not the English league (2.5 nautical miles) previously used. Presto! daily except Sunday ($7 one-way). The mail Great Inagua TURKS
&
Ocean
The exact landing spot turns out to be latitude 23¼°09’00”N and longitude 73¼°29’13”W…the boat dock lies north of Spring Point. Bight CAICOS
island of Samana Cay. (UK)
If the claim is true, the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María anchored on Samana’s southwest side, at SAMANA CAY
a spot where the reef opens. Columbus explored inside the reef in a rowboat and recorded the This uninhabited cay still fits Columbus’ Lake Rosa 21º00'N

features of the island that he named San Salvador. description: ‘quite large…flat…green…with Matthew
Town
many waters and white cliffs facing south.’ 73º30'W 73º00'W
 234 I N A G UA S & MAYA G UA N A • • H i s t o r y www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com I N A G UA S & MAYA G UA N A • • G re a t & L i t t l e I n a g u a 235

Bahamian islands, lying just 50 miles north- of mainstream tourists and the air-kissing station and took him hostage. The Drug novelist Ian Fleming also visited the islands
west of Providenciales (Turks and Caicos). set, only occasional fellow bird- and nature- Enforcement Administration now have a in the 1950s. He thought Great Inagua quite
Half of Great Inagua lies within Bahamas lovers ever appear in these parts. permanent presence on the islands. strange, with its lake ‘only a couple of feet
National Trust Park and therefore much deep and the color of a corpse.’ Thus it
of the island is only accessible with some History Getting There & Around became the home of Dr No, the villain of
arduous trekking through brush, with vast Great Inagua’s human settlement was fi- Most visitors fly into Great Inagua or May- the first James Bond film.
acres of exceedingly briny lakes where wild nanced and supported by salt. ‘Crystal farm- aguana. Others catch the weekly mail boat Great Inagua is 35 miles east to west and
boars, horses and donkeys roam (the latter ing’ was began in the late 18th century. The from Nassau. 20 miles north to south at its widest. Unin-
two outnumber humans by five-to-one). If island became a major salt exporter (as told You’ll need your own transport if you habited Little Inagua lies to the northeast.
this matches your sense of adventure then in Great Inagua by Margery O Erickson). want to explore the islands. Car hire com- Matthew Town is the only settlement
you’re in for some excitement! You will Great Inagua’s southernmost position panies are based at Matthew Town. Car in- and is also a center for the Morton Salt
be made welcome by local Bahamians and also makes it a prime piece of real estate for surance is not generally on offer. Company, who produces nearly a million
the birdlife, including some rare feathered- drug-runners heading in from Colombia pounds of salt here annually. Also likely
beauties and the hemisphere’s largest flock and other drug-producing nations. So many GREAT & LITTLE INAGUA to make you thirsty is the knowledge that
of West Indian flamingos, is fabulous. islanders profited from the drug trade in pop 951 the islands have no potable water supply;
The islands are hot; the mosquitoes are the 1980s that when a policeman became With salt traders and birds the most rec- water currently is shipped in and distrib-
overwhelming. However the islands are free overzealous, locals burned down the police ognizable visitors, not many realized that uted by truck.
Sport fishing and scuba-diving fans will
GREAT & LITTLE INAGUA 0
0
16 km
10 miles
enjoy these pristine waters but will need
their own gear.
A B C D E F
INFORMATION
Bank of the Bahamas..........................1 A3
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Erickson Museum...............................7 A3
SLEEPING
Camp Arthur Vernay........................ 12 D4
Matthew Town
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS

SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
BaTelCo.............................................2 A2 Morton Salt Works.............................8 B4 Morton Salt Company Main House..13 A3 pop 452
1 Commissioner’s Office.....................(see 6)
Government Medical Clinic................3 A3
School................................................9
Union Creek Reserve Turtle Research
A3 Sunset Apartments...........................14
Walkine’s Guesthouse......................15
A4
A3
1 The white gold of former years is still a
Little Inagua regular income for most of the town’s folk,
Immigration........................................4 A3 Station.........................................10 C3
Police Station.....................................5 A3
Post Office.........................................6 A3
US Coast Guard...............................11 A2 EATING
Bertram Ingraham Bar......................16 A3
while others get by on fishing and farming.
Cozy Corner Restaurant & Bar..........17 A2 The faded bungalows and old two-story
Inagua General Store........................18 A3
Ingraham's Variety Store..................19 A3
whitewashed houses with green shuttered
2 0
0
600 m
0.3 miles
Market...........................................(see 18) windows make up the town center along
11 Morton Company Store...................20 A3
Topp’s Restaurant............................21 B3
with a few shops and bars and the island
commissioner’s office, topped by a clock
TRANSPORT
23
Gas Station.......................................22 A3 Northeast Point tower. There’s a small beach to the south,
2 Ingraham Rent-a-car......................(see 16) 2 with shade trees and picnic benches.
Albert St

Mail-Boat Dock................................23 A2 21º20'N

North St 17 Marina...........................................(see 23)
Victoria St

INFORMATION
Gregory St

St
Prison
Great Inagua
Public telephone booths are scattered around
Nesbit St town.
Russell St

5
Mortimer
St
Matthew Carmichael Point Bank of the Bahamas (%242-339-1264; Ground fl,
Town
22
7
16 19 Clarion Bank commissioner’s office, Gregory St; h9:30am-2pm Mon-
1
Cartwright
St Ocean
Bight
Thu, 9:30am-5:30pm Fri)
Palmetto Point
20
13 3
Meado
ws St 21º10'N BaTelco office (%242-339-2002; Matthew Town)
3 6 4
od St
3 Government Medical Clinic (%242-339-1249, 242-
Astwo Alfred Sound
18
9
21 339-1226 after 5:30pm; Victoria St)
Farquharson Fishing
Beach Union Creek Bahamas National Trust Park Police station (%242-339-1444, 919; Gregory St)
15
Northwest
10 Reserve
Post office (%242-339-1248; Ground fl, commission-
Maud St Point
Man O’ War Maroon Hill 12
er’s office, Gregory St)
Taylor St 8
Bay

Lake Rosa
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
14
Matthew Town 21º00'N
The small Erickson Museum (%242-339-1863;
Beach
Matthew Southeast
Gregory St; h9am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat)
4 Town Airport Point 4 contains profiles on salt production and
ATLANTIC
native fauna, including flamingos. Ask the
See Enlargement
Molasses
Reef
OCEAN librarian to open it for you.
Great Inagua
Lighthouse
Clarion Bank The Great Inagua Lighthouse (% 242-339-
73º50'W 73º40'W 73º30'W 73º20'W 73º10'W 73º00'W
1370; Southwest Point) is one of four kerosene
 236 I N A G UA S & MAYA G UA N A • • G re a t & L i t t l e I n a g u a
lighthouses in the country that that must be
wound by hand every 1½ hours throughout
the night.
A good place for snorkeling is Alfred Sound,
at the end of the road north of town, where
bonefishing also is said to be excellent.
SLEEPING & EATING
Great Inagua is a bit of a culinary wasteland
and there is little seafood or vegetables, but
at least there’s no shortage of salt. Cash is
preferred here.
Morton Salt Company Main House (% 242-
339-1267; Gregory St; d $70-90; pna ) This
endearing and well-maintained little two-
story guesthouse sits in the town, albeit
across from a noisy power plant. Three
rooms have their own bathrooms, and all
are very clean and adequately furnished.
Gideon’s Bibles can occupy you in the
toilets!
Walkine’s Guesthouse (%242-339-1612; cnr Greg-
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
ory & Maud Sts; r $80-90) A more modern option
is this guesthouse with five well-maintained
rooms, all with crisp, attractive decor, neat
bathrooms, and modern furniture, includ-
ing TVs.
Sunset Apartments (%242-339-1362; r $120) In
the south end of town, and sitting right on
the water, these units are cheerful and nicely
furnished with tiles and rattan furniture.
It is only a five-minute walk to the nearest
beach.
Cozy Corner Restaurant & Bar (%242-339-1440;
North St; mains $7-18; hlunch & dinner) Your best
bet on the island; enjoy some boiled fish,
fried chicken and burgers or have a drink
and a game of pool.
Topps Restaurant (%242-339-1465) in town
and Bertram Ingraham Bar (% 242-339-1659;
Kortwright St) both sell the liquid stuff we all
enjoy so much.
Inagua General Store (%242-339-1460; Gregory
St) and Ingrahams Variety Store (%242-339-1232;
Cartwright St) are useful stores, while a market
is held intermittently by the beach.
GETTING THERE & AROUND
For international flights to the Bahamas
please refer to p288.
Matthew Town Airport (%242-339-1680) is 2
miles north of town.
Bahamasair (UP; www.bahamasair.com; hubs Freep-
ort & Nassau) Freeport (%242-352-8341); Nassau (%242-
377-5505) flies from Nassau to Matthew Town
www.lonelyplanet.com
Inagua, and Mayaguana ($111 one-way,
three times a week).
For boat schedules and departure times,
call the Dockmaster’s office (%242-393-1064) on
Potter’s Cay in Nassau.
MV Trans-Cargo II ($70 one way; 24hrs) sails from
Nassau weekly to Inagua and Mayanagua.
Matthew Town Harbour (%242-339-1427) has
slips and fuel, and you can ‘enter’ the island
at Immigration (%242-339-1234; Gregory St). There
is also a US Coast Guard.
For car rentals call Ingraham Rent-a-Car
(%242-339-1667) or Henry Nixon (%242-339-1616;
Victoria St). There is a gas station on Gregory
Street.
Ingraham’s Variety Store (%242-339-1232; Cart-
wright St) rents bicycles out at $12 per day.
North of Matthew Town
About 4 miles past Matthew Town, the dirt
road passes between the southernmost of
part the Morton Salt Works’ salt pans; the
pans are contained by dikes that connect
them to equally briny natural lakes. Further
FLAMING FLAMINGOS
The West Indian (or roseate) flamingo is
restricted to Great Inagua, the Turks and
Caicos, Bonaire, portions of the Yucatán
Pen insula, and Cuba. Around 60,000 of
these leggy birds inhabit 12-mile-long
Lake Rosa in the Bahamas National Trust
Park. In season (November through June)
the birds can be seen in great flocks in
the park, most magnificently, taking off en
masse in a pink blizzard. The birds mate
in December and January and nest from
February to April. They migrate annually to
Cuba. There are other rare birds to entice
even the most jaded bird-watcher, includ-
ing the reddish egret. Each spring a bird
count is undertaken. You’re welcome to
volunteer.
Flamingos have started to repopulate
neighboring islands, a sure sign of success,
as the birds have been hunted ruthlessly
for meat and milliners’ stores during the
past 200 years. Locals still have a taste for
flamingo steak (the flesh is said to taste like
partridge) and occasionally shoot the birds
for meat, despite a $1000 fine and a penalty
of three months’ imprisonment. Hogs are
the birds’ other main enemy.
www.lonelyplanet.com
north, the dirt road passes sporadic beaches,
the ruins of an old sisal plantation, and an
abandoned loyalist settlement.
The road finishes at Farquharson Beach, a
protected bay and a prime snorkeling and
bonefishing spot where the abandoned US
Aerostat station is located. A turnoff here
leads east – inland – to the Union Creek
Reserve (see right).
The Morton Salt Works are the second-largest
solar saline plant in the hemisphere; com-
prising 34,000 acres of reservoirs and salt
pans surrounding a cleaning, storage, and
bulk-freight loading facility.
Each pan is ‘harvested’ once a year be-
tween March and June, and its salt is trans-
ported and washed. The soggy crystals then
are stacked into huge mountains to dry in
the sun. Each pile of salt contains crystals
of a specific size and shape; the different
grades of salt are each intended for a dif-
ferent purpose.
The company’s managing director (%242-
339-1811) is normally happy to organize a
tour to show you around.
Bahamas National Trust Park
This 287-sq-mile national park protects the
world’s largest breeding colony of West In-
dian (or roseate) flamingos and has been
in operation since 1963. Drought-resistant
scrub, bonsai forests and vast acres of de-
ceased, leafless trees indicate the effects of
the briny waters. However, the super-salty
soup teems with brine shrimp and larval
brine flies, foods favored by flamingos and
a parade of other waders. Dominating the
park is Lake Rosa, a precious mirror re-
flecting the antics of roseate spoonbills,
endemic reddish pink egrets, avocets, cor-
morants, tricolored Louisiana herons, and
flamingos.
Sometimes you can see flamingos in the
brine pools on the edge of the Morton Salt
Works, outside the park boundary. But the
large flocks are within the park, far from traf-
fic and other disturbances. The best times to
visit are early morning and late evening.
There are also burrowing owls, Bahamian
pintails, endemic Bahamian woodstar hum-
mingbirds, brown pelicans, stripe-headed
tanagers, American kestrels and endangered
Bahama parrots.
Before you arrive, contact the Bahamas
National Trust (BNT; %242-393-1317; Nassau, New
I N A G UA S & MAYA G UA N A • • M a y a g u a n a 237
Providence) to make reservations, buy a day
pass ($25) or book a tour ($50 for four
adults, including tip). Taking in the salt
works, tours are run by Henry Nixon (%242-
339-1616; fax 242-339-1850; VHF Channel 16), the BNT
warden on Inagua. All visitors must be ac-
companied by a warden and passes have to
be bought in advance.
Hawksbill turtles also come ashore to
nest and freshwater turtles inhabit ponds
on these isles. Union Creek Reserve, lies at Ba-
hamas National Trust Park’s northwest cor-
ner and encompasses tidal creeks and beach
where sea turtles – notably green turtles –
feed and come ashore to nest. The sanctu-
ary is the only natural feeding ground in the
Caribbean region and mid-Americas where
sea turtles are not hunted or exploited in
any way. The BNT is working in conjunc-
tion with the US-based Caribbean Conserva-
tion Corporation & Sea Turtle Survival League (US
%800-678-7853, 352-373-6441; www.cccturtle.org) to
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
protect the turtles.
The cactus-covered limestone ridge of
Maroon Hill is a good vantage point for spy-
ing the location of flamingos, which usually
can be seen in the brine ponds immediately
to the west.
Camp Arthur Vernay (%242-339-1616; fax 242-
339-1850; VHF Channel 16; dm per person $30) The plain
bunkhouse sleeps nine and has two shared
showers with cold and lukewarm water and
an outdoor kitchen. Take your own food,
but the BNT warden Henry Nixon may
cook for you on request; be prepared to tip
extra.
Little Inagua
This 30-sq-mile island, 5 miles northeast
of Great Inagua, is uninhabited, despite
its relatively rich soils, which support a
dense stand of Cuban royal palm and size-
able populations of wild burros and goats.
Several bird species and marine turtles also
nest here.
MAYAGUANA
pop 251
The silent beaches, rugged and rocky shores,
and unspoilt reefs entice occasional boat-
ers to this 25-mile-long isle that is barely
6 miles wide, and is located 65 miles from
Great Inagua. Some fantastic snorkeling
can be enjoyed here and Booby Cay, offshore,
is an important nesting site for seabirds.
 © Lonely Planet Publications
238 I N A G UA S & MAYA G UA N A • • M a y a g u a n a www.lonelyplanet.com

Abraham Bay, on the south coast, is the larg-
est of three small settlements on the island.
Roads northwest lead to the other settlements:
Pirate’s Well and Betsy Bay. Electricity and a full
telephone service arrived here only in 1997,
despite the US Air Force’s missile-tracking
station (now defunct) that was here during
NASA’s Apollo and Mercury programs.
Probably your bet on the island, Reggie’s
Guest House & Lounge (%242-422-0131; Abraham’s
Bay; r $150) can offer breakfast, dinner and
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS
fishing excursions. While the beachside res-
taurant and bar, Buccaneers’ Rest (%242-339-
3605; Pirate’s Well; r $130), offers 16 simple rooms
in its little single-story yellow building.
Brook’s, Brown’s, and Farrington’s are all tiny
grocery stores open daily.
Most visitors fly here, but it’s possible to
catch the weekly ferry from Nassau. The
airfield is 2 miles west of Abraham Bay.
Ask at the grocery stores about water-
taxi services.

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 © Lonely Planet Publications
240 www.lonelyplanet.com C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • H i s t o r y 241

History friends escaping the rigors of US East Coast

Caicos Islands
From something as simple as an ancient pad- winters. By the 1970s, Providenciales was the
dle and a few cave drawings, historians have near-private domain of a group of wealthy
observed that Lucayan Indians simultan- escape artists from long-john climates.
eously inhabited the Turks, Caicos and Baha- Around the same time, Count Ferdinand
mian islands, and were therefore the earliest Czernin, son of the last prime minister of
known inhabitants of the region. These two the Austro–Hungarian Empire, planned a
countries also share a history of mining Walden Pond–like resort on tiny Pine Cay,
These islands, headed by Providenciales (or ‘Provo’), have pristine resorts dotted with palm ‘white gold’ or salt, which in the Turks and which later became the exclusive Meridian
trees, perfect beaches lined with honey-brown sunbathers and warm, glistening shallows. Caicos proved highly viable until the 1950s. Club. This development was followed by
The Caicos Islands were ‘discovered’ by Club Med, which opened its doors on Provo
At night wine and wafts of garlic accompany the chatter from intimate alfresco restaurants, seven millionaires (including Teddy Roo- in 1984, and with this the Turks and Cai-
and people stroll under the stars to lively bars where the music has a goombay beat. Belongers sevelt III and a couple of DuPonts) in the cos started to boom. In the blink of an eye,
mix with visitors at karaoke nights, where hilarity and talent are shown in equal measures. early 1960s – they leased land from the the islands, which previously had no elec-
British government, built a small airstrip for tricity, acquired satellite TV.
The Caicos chain arcs through West Caicos, Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, their private planes, and constructed a deep- Today finance, tourism and fishing gen-
East Caicos and South Caicos. The rocky landscape of Middle Caicos has created some water anchorage for their yachts and those of erate most income but the islands cannot
picturesque coves and private beaches overlooked by a range of cute cottages perfect for
CAICOS ISLANDS 0
0
16 km
10 miles
solitude, while lush North Caicos produces a range of exotic sweet fruits and fantastic condi- 72º15'W 72º00'W 71º45'W
tions for biking and hiking. West Caicos has small sandy beaches and a historic plantation,
Caicos
while the East and South Caicos celebrate their undisturbed inhabitants; flocks of leggy
22º00'N
Passage
flamingos and sleepy wild donkeys. North Caicos
ATLANTIC
See Providenciales Map (pp244–5) Parrot Whitby Bay
The islands, despite their different characters, share a common bond; magically warm Cay
Sandy
Cay
OCEAN
Point Kew
and soothing jade seas that soak away the stresses of modern living. While there are any Water
Cay
number of wonderful diving experiences around the Caicos Islands, snorkeling is also an Bottle Creek

Conch Bar
easy option with some reefs just a short swim off the beach. Providenciales Pine
Cay Middle Caicos

The tiny cays sprayed around the main islands are made for day trips. Visit some docile and Providenciales See North Caicos Ramsar Site
21º45'N Map (p253)
friendly rock iguanas, wander white shores looking for shells and sand dollars, cycle through
Midnight
tiny villages or just sit and stare at that incredibly beautiful and wide blue horizon. Manta
West Caicos Vine Point & Ocean East Caicos
Marine National Park Hole Nature Reserve
Lake Catherine
CAICOS ISLANDS

CAICOS ISLANDS
Nature Park See Middle & East Caicos Map (p256)

HIGHLIGHTS West Caicos

! Heading out for a boisterous night of bingo or exuberant Molasses Reef

karaoke at a Turtle Cove (p249) nightspot Little Wreck See South Caicos Map (p257) South
Water North Caicos Caicos
21º30'N Fishing
Cay Caicos Bank
! Meeting Curious, an iguana who belts across the Turtle French Cay Middleton Cay
Cove Cockburn
sand like Michael Jordan when thrown an Grace Six Hill Cays Harbour
Bay Long
edible morsel, on Little Water Cay (p252) Cay Turks
Island
! Biking around lush North Caicos (p253) Passage
spotting gangly flamingos and predatory West Sand Spit Fish Cays
ospreys
French Cay
Little Ambergris Cay Big Ambergris Cay
! Melting into a chocolate soufflé under the
stars at romantic Grace’s Cottage restaurant,
21º15'N
Grace Bay (p249)
! Swimming with docile stingrays as they glide through the
shallows of French Cay (p252) Seal Cays Bush Cay

! TELEPHONE CODE: 649 ! POPULATION: 13,302 ! AREA: 178 SQ MILES

 242 C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s
survive without British aid, despite con-
tinuing calls for independence.
National Parks
Nature lovers will enjoy exploring this
region. There are more than 30 protected
national parks, sanctuaries, nature reserves
and historical sites, run by the Turks & Caicos
National Parks (p44).
The Turks & Caicos National Trust (%649-941-
5710; tc.nattrust@tciway.tc; PO Box 540, Providenciales,
Caicos) has established two underwater snor-
keling trails off Provo’s Smith’s and Bight
Reefs. It has initiated countrywide studies
of bird populations, and in 1999 gained in-
ternational funding to manage the Ramsar
wetlands in North, Middle and East Cai-
cos. See the Environment chapter (p44) for
more information and contact details.
Providenciales has the Northwest Point Ma-
rine National Park, whose inland saline ponds
attract roseate spoonbills and other water-
fowl, and the Chalk Sound National Park, a cay-
studded lagoon. Princess Alexandra National Park
includes the shore and offshore reefs along
Grace Bay and the cays northeast of Provo.
West Caicos has the West Caicos Marine Na-
tional Park, and Lake Catherine Nature Reserve,
a breeding ground for flamingos, ospreys
and water birds.
The North, Middle and East Caicos share
the Ramsar Site. The Middle Caicos Reserve & Trail
System is part of this park, and incorporates
a marsh and intertidal wetlands; a breeding
site and nursery for waterfowl, lobster, conch
CAICOS ISLANDS
and fish. Middle Caicos also has the Conch Bar
Caves National Park, an extensive cave system,
and the Vine Point & Ocean Hole Nature Reserve.
North Caicos enjoys the Three Mary Cays
National Park and East Bay Islands National Park,
both favored by seabirds.
South Caicos has two parks; the Admiral
Cockburn Land & Sea Park with coral reefs, and
the Belle Sound & Admiral Cockburn Cays Nature
Reserve.
Getting There & Away
Most travelers to the Caicos Islands fly
into Providenciales International Airport
in downtown Providenciales. For informa-
tion on flights to the islands, see (p251).
Getting Around
You will need your own transport if you
want to explore the main island outside of
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Providenciales’ main tourist centers. You can
rent cars, scooters and bicycles. Some public
buses run infrequently on limited routes.
Scheduled flights depart to the other Cai-
cos islands regularly. Otherwise a plethora of
trips, charters and tours depart daily to the
islands and their cays from Turtle Cove and
the Leeward Marinas (see Tours, p247).
PROVIDENCIALES
pop 8851
As recently as 1964, the island of Providen-
ciales (colloquially called ‘Provo’) did not
have a single wheeled vehicle. Provo is now
the most developed island of the Turks and
Caicos Islands and tourism is booming.
Provo’s iconic beach, the sugar-white Grace
Bay Beach with its extraordinary aquamar-
ine waters, begins east of Turtle Cove and
stretches along the north shore’s 5-mile-long
Grace Bay to Leeward Marina. White fla-
mingos often alight on the beaches and golf
courses at sunrise, while tourism sleeps.
A wealth of resort hotels and residential
developments are expanding along the beach
and the whole north shore at a rate of knots.
This is especially so now that seven-story
buildings are permitted on the seafront, both
saddening and infuriating Belongers.
East of Provo, the entire north shore and
offshore waters are within the protected
Princess Alexandra National Park. The south
shore is a series of connecting lakes and
sounds. Away from the beaches, Provo’s ap-
peal lies in its western rugged hills and ridges,
and national parks.
Despite the boom in tourism, Provo still
has a quiet charm that makes the place a
pleasure to explore, and the Belongers are a
delight to chat and joke with. The island’s tiny
cays and surrounding pockets of sparkling
sea are visually and sensually stunning. These
can be easily reached by chartered boat or ex-
cursion, while miles and miles of coral reefs
lie temptingly close to shore. Smith’s Reef,
offshore from the Turtle Cove Marina, and
the beach outside the Coral Gardens hotel
both offer highly rewarding snorkeling.
Orientation
The main four-lane highway, Leeward Hwy,
runs east from downtown along the island’s
spine, ending at Heaving Down Rock on
the eastern coast. A coastal highway, Grace
Bay Rd, parallels Grace Bay.
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A separate coast road runs northwest
from downtown to Blue Hills and Whee-
land settlements, beyond which it contin-
ues to Northwest Point. This potholed and
corrugated road has been slightly improved,
but take care when driving. Another very
potholed route is South Dock Rd, which
runs from South Dock to Sapodilla and
Taylor Bays, and along the peninsula that
passes Silly Cay.
Information
BOOKSTORES
Most resort boutiques sell a small supply of
books and magazines.
Unicorn Bookstore (%649-941-5458; IGA Graceway
Mall, Leeward Hwy) Has a large selection including local
publications, some great books and maps on the Turks and
Caicos, newspapers and magazines.
EMERGENCY
Ambulance & Emergencies (%911)
Fire (%649-946-4444)
Police (%649-946-4259; Old Airport Rd)
MEDICAL SERVICES
Associated Medical Practices Clinic (%649-946-
4242; Leeward Hwy) Clinic with several private doctors;
has a recompression chamber.
Provo Discount Pharmacy (%649-946-4844; Central
Square Plaza, Leeward Hwy; h8am-10pm)
MONEY
First Caribbean International Bank (%649-946-
4245; Butterfield Sq, Leeward Hwy)
Scotiabank (%649-946-4750; Cherokee Rd) Has a
24hr ATM.
Western Union (%649-946-5484; Butterfield Sq,
Leeward Hwy)
POST & COMMUNICATIONS
There are public phone booths at several
roadside locations. Dial %111 to place
credit-card calls.
DHL Worldwide Express (%649-946-4352; Butter-
field Sq, Leeward Hwy)
Federal Express (FedEx; %649-946-4682; www.fedex
.com; Center Complex, Leeward Hwy)
Post office (%649-946-4676; Old Airport Rd; h8am-
noon & 2-4pm Mon-Thu, 8am-12:30pm & 2-5:30pm Fri)
Next to the police station.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist information booth (Arrivals Hall, Providen-
ciales International Airport)
C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s 243
Tourist office (%649-946-4970; www.turksandcaicos
tourism.com; Stubbs Diamond Plaza; h9am-5pm
Mon-Fri)
Sights
Attractions for sightseers are rather slim
downtown, but history buffs might check
out the ruins of Cheshire Hall (Leeward Hwy), a
1790s plantation house constructed by Brit-
ish Loyalists.
A rugged road leads from the settlement
of Wheeland (a 4WD might be more com-
fortable), northwest of downtown, to Malcolm
Roads, a superb two-mile-long beach good
for snorkeling and popular with locals on
weekends. Following this arduous, windy,
hilly, rocky track, you’re soon amid cacti,
with views over the inland saline lakes.
Another dirt road leads from Crystal Bay
Resorts, northwest of Wheeland, to Northwest
Point. From here you can walk east to a light-
house. It’s a desperate drive, with deep sand
JOJO: A NATIONAL TREASURE
JoJo is a wonderful ambassador for marine
life who well and truly holds the hearts of
Turks and Caicos islanders. For more than
two decades this 7ft bottlenose male dol-
phin has cruised the waters off Provo and
North Caicos on his own, abandoning or
deserted by his fellow dolphins. He actively
seeks out human contact and has built a
close relationship with a handler appointed
and paid for by the state.
CAICOS ISLANDS
When he first appeared, he was shy and
limited his human contact to following or
playing in the bow waves of boats, but he
now often appears when people are in the
water to join in the fun. JoJo even crossed
the Turks Island Passage and hung around
Grand Turk for a month some years ago.
Recognized as a national treasure by the
Ministry of Natural Resources, JoJo’s han-
dler studies his behavior and looks out for
him as part of the JoJo Dolphins Project
(% 649-941-5617; www.marinewildlife.org; PO
Box 153, Providenciales, Caicos).
JoJo, as with any wild dolphin, interprets
an attempt to touch him as an aggressive
act, and will react to defend himself, so
please bear this in mind if you’re lucky
enough to experience his playfulness and
companionship for a while.
 244 C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s 245

PROVIDENCIALES
A B
INFORMATION
Associated Medical Practices Clinic.... 1 D5
DHL Worldwide Express.................(see 13)
1 Federal Express...............................(see 41)
First Caribbean International Bank.......2 E3
Grace Bay Medical Centre..................3 E5
Police Station......................................4 E3
Post Office..........................................5 E3
Post Office..........................................6 E3
Provo Discount Pharmacy..................7 D5
Scotiabank..........................................8 E5
Scotiabank (24-Hour ATM).................9 E3
T&C National Trust Booth................10 F4
T&C National Trust........................(see 44)
Telephone........................................ 11 C6
Tourist Office...................................12 E5
Unicorn Bookstore..........................(see 36)
2 Western Union...............................(see 13)
Caicos Passage
Northwest Point
Marine National Park
3 Grace Bay Club.................................25 E5
Northwest
Point
21º50'N Malcolm
4 Roads
Tiki Hut
CAICOS ISLANDS
C D
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Art Pickering's Provo Turtle Divers..(see 32)
Beyond the Blue.............................(see 54)
Big Blue..........................................(see 54)
Butterfield Sq....................................13 E3
Caicos Conch Farm...........................14 F5
Catch the Wave Charters...............(see 54)
Cheshire Hall....................................15 F3
Dive Provo.......................................(see 8)
J&B Tours.......................................(see 54)
Library..............................................16 E3
Provo Ponies.....................................17 F5
Rock Carvings..................................18 B6
Sail Provo.......................................(see 54)
Silver Deep.....................................(see 33)
South Side Marina........................... 19 D6
Sun & Fun Sea Sports.....................(see 54)
Turtle Parasail................................(see 54)
Underwater Explorer Semi
Submarine..................................(see 33)
Windsurfing Provo.........................(see 28)
SLEEPING
Airport Inn....................................... 20 C5
Alexandra Resort & Spa....................21 E5
Aquamarine Beach Houses.............(see 21)
Beaches Resort & Spa.....................(see 21)
Caribbean Paradise Inn..................(see 25)
Club Med Turkoise...........................22 E5
Comfort Suites..................................23 E5
Coral Gardens.................................. 24 D5
Mahluf Apartment........................... 26 D5
Miramar Resort................................ 27 D5
Ocean Club Resort...........................28 E5
Point Grace....................................(see 29)
Sands................................................29 E5
Serendipity ....................................(see 26)
Sibonné Hotel & Beach Club.............30 E5
Travellers Rest Hotel.........................31 E3
Turtle Cove Inn................................ 32 D5
EATING
Baci Ristorante.............................. 33 D5
Calico Jack's.....................................(see 8)
Coco Bistro Restaurant.....................(see 8)
Coyaba..........................................(see 24)
Danny Bouy's Irish Pub & Restaurant..34 E5
Go Fish............................................ 35 C5
Grace's Cottage.............................(see 29)
IGA Supermarket............................. 36 D5
Island Scoop Icecreams...................(see 34)
Magnolia Wine Bar & Restaurant...(see 27)
Tiki Hut..........................................(see 32)
ENTERTAINMENT
Bambooz Bar & Grill.......................(see 34)
Banana Boat Bar & Grill..................(see 32)
Hemingway's on the Beach............(see 29)
Hey It's José..................................... 37 D5
Sound Stage.....................................38 E5
SHOPPING
Al Vern's Craft Market......................39 E5
Art Provo.......................................(see 28)
Bamboo Gallery................................40 F3
Center Complex............................... 41 C5
Dwight A Outten...........................(see 28)
Grace Bay Plaza.............................(see 30)
Jean Taylor Gallery.........................(see 30)
Marilyn's Crafts..............................(see 43)
Night & Day Boutique....................(see 43)
Phillip Outten Gallery....................... 42 D6
Ports of Call......................................43 E5
Tattooed Parrot..............................(see 43)
Town Centre Mall ............................44 E3
0
0 2 miles
4 km
and potholes, and you shouldn’t attempt it
unless you have courage and a large 4WD.
E F Protecting reefs off Provo’s west shore,
TRANSPORT Northwest Point Marine National Park en-
Avis................................................. 45 C5
Budget...........................................(see 44) compasses several saline lakes that attract
Budget...........................................(see 45) 1 breeding and migrant waterfowl. The largest
Caicos Marina...................................46 E6
Gas Station...................................... 47 C6 is Pigeon Pond, inland. This part of the park
Gas Station.......................................48 B5
Gas Station.......................................49 E5
is the Pigeon Pond & Frenchman’s Creek Nature
Gas Station.......................................50 F3 Reserve. Other ponds – notably Northwest
Gas Station.......................................51 E3
Gas Station...................................... 52 D5
Point Pond and Frenchman’s Creek – encompass
Hertz................................................53 C5 tidal flats and mangrove swamps along the
Hertz..............................................(see 45)
Leeward Marina................................54 F4
west coast, attracting fish and fowl in large
Provo Fun Cycles & Autos ...............(see 8)
21º55'N
numbers. You’ll have to hike to get here, and
Scooter Bob's.................................(see 32)
Sky King...........................................55 E3
come equipped with food and water.
Tropical Auto Rentals.....................(see 28) 2
Turtle Cove Marina........................(see 32)
CHALK SOUND NATIONAL PARK
The waters of this 3-mile-long bay, 2 miles
ATLANTIC OCEAN southwest of downtown, define ‘turquoise.’
The color is uniform: a vast, unrippled,
electric-blue carpet eerily and magnificently
40
Hwy studded with countless tiny islets.
ard
50 Le
ew
15
A slender peninsula separates the sound
Butterfield
Square from the sea. The peninsula is scalloped
13 Downtown
3 with beach-lined bays, notably Sapodilla Bay.
Airport
31 2
Rd 6
9 Providenciales
A potholed road runs along the peninsula;
44
4
16
51 although it is accessible, drive carefully!
5
Old Airport Rd
55
Unfortunately large vacation homes along
Providenciales
both sides of the peninsula clip the views
International 0
Airport 0
800 m
0.5 miles and hinders public access from the roads
Water
Cay to the water and beaches.
At the far eastern end of the Sapodilla
Little Water
Cay
Bay peninsula, a rocky hilltop boasts rock
4 carvings, dating back to 1844. The slabs are
Donna
Cay
intricately carved with Roman lettering that
Mangrove records the names of sailors shipwrecked

CAICOS ISLANDS
10
Cay
here and the dates of their sojourns. The
Wheeland
48
54 Heaving Down
Rock carvings are reached via a rocky trail that
Pigeon
Pond Provo
14
Bird begins 200yd east of the Mariner Hotel; it
Rock
28 Golf Club leads uphill to the summit, which offers
Grace
Pigeon Pond & Blue Hills Princess Alexandra
Bay 22 wonderful views over the island and Chalk
Frenchman's Creek
Nature Reserve
National Park
29 25
23 Sound.
5 12
ce
Bay Rd 39 5
Gra 34 8 17
Downtown 30 3 43
38 CAICOS CONCH FARM

Dr
Providenciales

Bay Hw
y
41 32 33 Hw 49 Long Bay
21
Located near the northeastern tip of Provo,

ch
53 26 24 a rd
Turtle Leew

Bea
See Enlargement
27 Cove
Caicos Conch Farm (%649-946-5643/5330; fax 649-
ay
35 52 36 Long Bay
7
Airport 20 Rd
g B
45 1 37
Sa l i na Lon g Beach 946-5849; tour adult/child $6/3;h 9am-4pm Mon-Fri,
Lon
nt
Po i
Chalk Sound Providenciales Rd
42 Ju
ba 9am-2pm Sat) claims to be ‘the world’s only
n

International Airport
tia

Frenchman's conch farm.’ This place is a little creepy and

ne

47
Ve

Creek Chalk Sound 46

Silly National Park
Five Cays 19 Juba
is basically a battery-farm of the critters.
Cay
Proggin'
11 Bay
Cooper Jack
Point Nonetheless, the farm is striving to protect
6 Bay Bight 6 the Caribbean queen conch from extinction
Stubb's Creek
South
Taylor Bay by raising the mollusks commercially for
Bluff
Sapodilla Bay Caicos Bank
export and local use. On a 20-minute tour,
18 Five Cays
you can learn how conchs are grown from
South Dock
72º20'W 72º15'W 72º10'W
eggs to adults.
 246 C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s
Activities
DIVING
All the dive operators offer a range of dive
and snorkel options, from introductory ‘re-
sort courses’ to PADI certification ($350 to
$395). Most offer free hotel pick-ups and
drop-offs. Dive sites include most Caicos
islands and cays. For further snorkeling op-
tions, see right.
Art Pickering’s Provo Turtle Divers (%649-946-
4232; www.provoturtledivers.com; Turtle Cove Marina) is a
popular outfit offering two-tank and night
dives ($95/65). Tailored trips to French Cay
and West Caicos are also popular. This
company also has facilities at the Ocean
Club Resort (p248).
Big Blue (%649-946-5034; www.bigblue.tc; Leeward
Marina) runs a large range of diving trips and
courses, including a useful refresher course
for $125. Two-tank dives are $135 and the
diving packages are good value (four days
of two-tank dives costs $485).
Dive Provo (%649-946-5040; www.diveprovo.com;
Ports of Call, Grace Bay Rd) has two-tank dives
($100) and night dives ($71) at sites around
the island, plus photo and video services.
SPORTFISHING & BONEFISHING
A plethora of boat charters and trips can
be arranged from Leeward and Turtle Cove
Marinas. Try the following operators.
Catch the Wave Charters (%649-941-3047; catch
thewave@tciway.tc; Leeward Marina) runs a heap of
chartered trips, from $400/800 per half day/
full day for three fishing fans, and cruis-
CAICOS ISLANDS
ers from $500/1050 per half/full day for
up to eight people. Yummy luxury lobster
and wine picnics, and barbecues, can be
provided.
Bonefish Unlimited (%649-946-4874; www.provo
.net/bonefish) is run by veteran bonefishing
guide Captain Barr Gardiner. Call to arrange
a tailored half- or full-day fishing trip.
Silver Deep (%649-946-5612; www.silverdeep.com;
Turtle Cove Marina) specializes in fishing excur-
sions, but also runs a number of day trips to
other Caicos islands and cays. Prices upon
application.
J&B Tours (see right) has bonefishing
excursions for $240/450 per half/full day.
Beyond the Blue (%649-231-1703; www.beyond
theblue.com; Leeward Marina, Providenciales) will take
you on fishing excursions to Belle Sound,
South Caicos and design itineraries to suit
your requirements.
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BOAT EXCURSIONS & SNORKELING
There are plenty of operators offering snor-
keling trips to the cays. The following are
some renowned and popular choices.
J&B Tours (% 649-946-5047; www.jbtours.com;
Leeward Marina) is a friendly team who runs
great, affordable trips to suit all tastes, bud-
gets and ages. A half-day trip (adult/child
$35/20) takes in a snorkel and visit to Little
Water Cay’s protected iguanas; ask to meet
the iguana aptly named Curious. Also on
offer is a romantic island getaway ($225
per couple), glow-worm cruise (adult/child
$60/40), power-boat charters (from $675),
deep-sea fishing charters (from $150 per
person) and waterskiing ($60).
Sail Provo (%649-946-4783; www.sailprovo.com;
Leeward Marina) offers half-day ($58) and full-
day ($108) snorkeling excursions to Little
Water Cay aboard 48- to 52ft catamarans. It
also offers sunset cruises ($58) and private
charters.
Undersea Explorer Semi Submarine (%649-
231-0006; www.caicostours.com; Turtle Cove Marina; adult/
child $40/30) will take you on a cruise to the
reef in a boat with a glass observatory. The
observatory, located 5ft below the waves,
was developed for Australia’s Great Barrier
Reef. Private charters are also on offer.
Scooter Bob’s (%649-946-4684; scooter@provo.net;
Turtle Cove Marina Plaza) Rents snorkel gear for
$10 per day.
WATER SPORTS & BOAT RENTALS
Turtle Parasail (%649-941-0643; Leeward Marina)
offers parasailing ($70) and banana-boat
rides ($25).
Windsurfing Provo (%649-241-1687; windpro@
tciway.tc; Ocean Club Resort) offers windsurfing
for $25 per hour, as well as lessons for
beginners. Sailing is $35/20/90 per hour/
additional hour/day, or rent kayaks for $15
per hour. Motor boats can be rented for
$70/110/190 per two hours/one day/two
days.
Sun & Fun Seasports (%649-946-5724; Leeward
Marina) rents jet skis ($90/240/300 per hour/
one day/two days) and jet boats ($160/300/
400 per hour/one day/two days), for two to
eight people.
Parasail 500ft above the ocean for $70 (a
minimum weight applicable for children)
at Captain Marvin’s Watersports (%649-231-0643;
www.captainmarvinsparasail.com), or take a banana-
boat ride ($25).
www.lonelyplanet.com
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Club Med Turkoise (p248) is noted for its
tennis facilities, but you’ll find similar ten-
nis facilities at most resorts.
Phillip Outten (%649-941-3610; phillipoutten@
tciway.tc; Venetian Rd, off Leeward Hwy), one of the
island’s noted artists (p250) and a really
nice guy, offers horseback rides along the
beach ($60 per 1½ hours).
Provo Ponies (%649-241-6350; Long Bay; from
$70) also offers rides along quiet hill roads,
canals and beaches.
Tours
Big Blue (%649-946-5034; www.bigblue.tc; Leeward
Marina) Runs cycling eco-adventure and kayak tours on
North Caicos ($60), plus diving trips and courses (opposite).
J&B Tours (%649-946-5047; jill@jbtours.com; Leeward
Marina) Offers an ‘Island Exploration’ tour combining
historical and scenic sites with snorkeling (including the
Marifax wreck), plus picnic and free drinks ($119; children
$70). Also runs fishing and boat trips (opposite).
Ocean Outback (%649-941-5810, 649-231-0824; www
.provo.net/oceanoutback/oceanoutbackhome.html) Runs a
great-value full-day ‘Outback Adventure Cruise’ (adult/child
$90/40) that takes in a pirates’ cave (with 200-year-old
carvings), and includes snorkeling, visits to secluded beaches
and a barbecue lunch with unlimited drinks. Boat rentals and
private charters are available along with glow-worm cruises.
Island drop-offs and live-aboard diving (all inclusive board
and meals plus access to dive sites) are also on offer.
Festivals & Events
The archipelago’s biggest bash is held on
Provo each July and August. The Provo Sum-
mer Festival features regattas, float parades,
partying and a ‘Miss Turks & Caicos Beauty
Pageant’ that garners noisy input from
everyone. These lively events are spread
over a week around Emancipation Day.
The Turks & Caicos International Billfish Tour-
nament and the Invitational Billfish Tournament
are held in July; the two events comprise the
Turks & Caicos Billfish Challenge.
A Culture Night is held in mid-May.
Sleeping
Much of the accommodation on Provo is
quite pricey, but the hotels, resorts, villas
and condominium resorts along Grace Bay
Beach are of very good quality. Several dozen
fab villas are available for rent along Chalk
Sound and the Sapodilla peninsula. Cheaper
efficiency apartments are in lovely spots
along Turtle Cove and the northwestern
C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s 247
beaches. Browse these websites for some al-
ternative rentals; www.wherewhenhow.com
and www.provo.net. Also check the hotels’
websites listed here for discounts.
DOWNTOWN & TURTLE COVE
Airport Inn (%649-941-3514; fax 649-941-3281; Air-
port Plaza; r $65-75; na) A perfect option if
you’re in transit between islands, this small
inn is at the airport and has rooms with
modern decor, cable TV and phone; some
have kitchenettes. It offers special rates for
airline crew, free rides to the beach, plus
15% off car-rental rates for guests.
Turtle Cove Inn (%649-946-4203; www.turtlecoveho
tel.com; Turtle Cove Marina; d $85; pnas) Don’t
pay any extra here for rooms that overlook
the marina, it’s not worth it. Although this
place is a bit tired and the pool is tiny, it is a
good budget option (ask about specials), set
in the centre of Turtle Cove’s small bar and
restaurant strip. Rooms have cable TV and
phone. There are also some excellent dive
packages available, too. Ask about rates.
Travellers Rest Hotel (% 649-946-4927; www
.travelersresthotel.com; Airport Rd, downtown Provo; r $100;
pnas) This neat and spacious hotel is
good for those jumping on a plane. It’s two
minutes away from the airport, and you can
take the complimentary shuttles that run
between the airport and Princess Alexander
National Park’s 12-mile-long beach.
Miramar Resort (%649-946-4240; www.miramar
resort.tc; Turtle Cove; d $120; pnas) Set on a
hill above the Turtle Cove Marina, it is a steep
CAICOS ISLANDS
walk up from the area’s bars and restaurants.
The 6-acre site has a pleasant Mediterranean
air about it, and the rooms are spacious, at-
tractive and airy, with great views. All rooms
come with fridge, cable TV, phone and Inter-
net connection. The resort has a pool, gym,
tennis court, wine bar and fairly gloomy res-
taurant. Diving packages are on offer.
Mahluf Apartment (%649-946-4989; www.silk
road.tc; Turtle Cove; apt $150; pns) This mod-
ern, light apartment, with a fab L-shaped
pool and clear ocean views, is close to the
night life of Turtle Cove. It’s located in the
lower level of a private home and a five-
night minimum stay is required.
GRACE BAY & EAST PROVIDENCIALES
Midrange
Caribbean Paradise Inn (%649-946-5022; www.para
dise.tc; Grace Bay; r $140; pnas) At Paradise
 248 C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s
Inn’s heart is a small, attractive pool fringed
by bougainvillea. There’s a bar in a canopied
patio, where buffet breakfasts are served.
Rooms have rattan furnishings, terracotta-
tiled floors, king-size beds, light that pours in
through French windows opening onto wide
balconies. It’s only 300yd from the beach.
Comfort Suites (%649-946-8888; www.comfort
suitestci.com; Grace Bay; r $150; pnas) This
comfortable, friendly and amazingly efficient
hotel is a great deal. The location is central
to Grace Bay’s restaurants and bars, but it’s a
fifteen-minute walk to the beach. The rooms
are cheerful and roomy, and furnished with
sofas, refrigerator, coffeemaker, cable TV,
in-room safe and ceiling fans. A compli-
mentary breakfast of croissant and pain au
chocolat (chocolate croissant) is served in
the courtyard alongside the lively outdoor
bar and small swimming pool. Good dive
packages should also be checked out.
Sibonné Hotel & Beach Club (%649-946-5547;
www.sibonne.com; Grace Bay; r $175; pnas)
This small and romantic inn sits on the
beach and has comfortable rooms set around
a garden strewn with hammocks and palm
trees. A fabulous restaurant and bar sit ad-
jacent to the freshwater pool and overlook
the beach. The renowned Bay Bistro serves
a delicious grilled vegetable and brie tart,
and desserts involve lots of chocolate wick-
edness. What else do you need other than
elasticized clothes? Dive and golf packages
are offered, and regular specials bring this
place within a midrange budget.
CAICOS ISLANDS
Other beachside recommendations in-
clude Alexandra Resort & Spa (%649-946-5807;
www.alexandraresort.com; Grace Bay; r $140; pna
s) for its great views, children’s activities
and bubbling spa and the Aquamarine Beach
Houses (%649-941-5690; www.aquamarinebeachhou
ses.com; Grace Bay; r $145; pnas), which
has stunning views over Grace Bay and a
white and light decor.
Top End
Ocean Club Resort (%649-946-5880; www.oceanclub
resorts.com; r $225; pnas) The first-class
condos here are set in beautifully mani-
cured grounds with shaded hammocks
slung between the palms, a swim-up bar,
fitness room and a night-lit tennis court.
The resort also runs a dive operation.
Sands (% 649-941-5199; www.thesandresort.com;
Grace Bay; d $225; pnas) This beachside
www.lonelyplanet.com
resort is quiet and has modern rental condos
plus it’s blessed with the convivial Heming-
way’s Bar & Restaurant (p250); the cocktails
and mango-and-shrimp salad are delicious.
Coral Gardens (%649-941-3713; www.coralgardens
.com; Grace Bay; d $300; pnais) Has
huge, well-lit two-bedroom suites with king-
size beds and wrap-around plate-glass win-
dows. The hotel sits on the beach and has the
Whitehouse Reef directly offshore; great for
easy snorkeling. You will need transport to
get around as it’s away from the action.
Also recommended:
Beaches Resort & Spa (%649-946-8000; www
.beaches.com; Grace Bay; r $350; pnais)
A popular all-inclusive 45-acre resort preferred by families;
there’s a great kid’s club on site.
Club Med Turkoise (%649-946-5500; www.clubmed
.com; r per person $190; nas) This 70-acre
all-inclusive adult-only resort is beloved of single thirty-
somethings who want to play hard.
Point Grace (%649-946-5096; www.pointgrace.com;
r $600; pnais)There’s real class and luxury
at this boutique hotel.
Grace Bay Club (%649-946-5757; www.gracebayclub
.com; r $650; pnais) A lush 5-acre world
centered on an Andalusian-style mansion and a plaza with
fountain, waterfall and real burping frogs.
WEST PROVIDENCIALES
Serendipity (%649-946-4787; www.serendipity.tc; Ba-
balua Beach; apt per week $800) This pristine, mod-
ern and airy one-bedroom, self-contained
apartment is on the lower level of a private
home that sits on a ridge overlooking the
ocean. The views are fabulous, although it’s
a 15-minute walk from the beach.
Eating & Drinking
There are French influences aplenty in the
Provo restaurants, and this doesn’t just
mean lots of cream and butter sauces. Sub-
tle flavorings and fresh combinations create
some imaginative menus.
The northwestern shore has some good
Bahamian takeouts; vegetarians are well
catered for.
DOWNTOWN & TURTLE COVE
Tiki Hut (%649-941-5341; Turtle Cove Inn, mains $10-
25; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner, closed Sun) Adjacent
to Turtle Cove Marina, this is a good place
for breakfast, but an even better place for
Wednesday night’s $10 barbecue; a 13-year
tradition that packs out the place. Chicken,
www.lonelyplanet.com
ribs or steaks are served with sautéed vege-
tables, and with garlic-mashed potatoes so
creamy they would make an Irishman cry.
Buckets of beer at $20 are guzzled by this
happy crowd. Don’t miss out!
Baci Ristorante (%649-941-3044; Harbour Towne
Plaza, Turtle Cove; mains $10-27; hTue-Fri, dinner only
Sat & Sun) This classy place has terracotta-tiled
floors and wrought-iron furnishings, plus a
bougainvillea-shaded patio. It serves some
truly grand grub; blackened snapper with
lemon sauce, penne with vodka-chicken
and the luscious chocolate pâté with crème
anglaise and fruit coulis.
Magnolia Winebar & Restaurant (%649-946-
4240; www.miramarresort.tc; Miramar Resort, Turtle Cove;
mains $12-28; hlunch & dinner) The restaurant of-
fers a view over Turtle Cove, a selection of
mainly French wines and specializes in Asian-
Caribbean cuisine, such as sesame seared
tuna with wok-fried veggies, baby bok choy,
and coconut wasabi with mashed potato.
Go Fish (%649-941-4646; Centre Mews, Leeward Hwy;
hbreakfast & lunch) Offers fish specials to eat in
or takeout. Also has herb roast chicken.
IGA Supermarket (% 649-941-5000; Graceway
Plaza, Leeward Hwy; h7am-10pm) For deli foods,
great fresh fruit and veg, vegetarian soya
dishes and all other foodstuffs, head for the
region’s best and largest food store.
GRACE BAY & EAST PROVIDENCIALES
Many of the resort hotels also have fabulous
restaurants and some lively and fun bars
that are open to nonguests.
There’s a heap of great informal eateries
at the Ports of Call plaza and along Grace
Bay Rd, within a five-minute walk of the
Comfort Suites, all with vegetarian dishes
on the menu.
Island Scoop Icecreams (%649-241-4230; Grace Bay
Plaza, Grace Bay Rd; ice cream $3; h10am-9pm) A cou-
ple of very smart cookies are selling heaps of
this lush and creamy ice cream, gelato and
sorbets to outlets around the island. Try the
wonderful mango gelato; it’s magic!
Calico Jack’s (%649-946-5120; upstairs, Ports of Call
plaza; mains $8-20; hdinner Sun-Fri) This lively bar
and restaurant is known for its gazpacho
($5) and yummy great-value pizzas. Friday
nights it is the place to be; on the outdoor
deck carousing with the band and fun-
loving residents.
Danny Buoy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant (%649-
946-5921; Grace Bay Rd; mains $9-15; hlunch & dinner)
C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s 249
A Celt set up this pub, and did a genuinely
good job on it. Walk in and see the polished
wooden bar, draft beers and row of behind-
shined barstools, and you would swear that
you’re in a misty part of boggy Ireland.
That is, apart from the Becks beer and a
menu that would please an English country
lord no end; bangers and mash with baked
beans, fish and chips – oh, simple joys. Live
music and quiz nights add to the fun.
Coyaba (%649-941-3713; Coral Gardens, Grace Bay;
mains $18-35; hlunch & dinner) This place offers
elegant dining under a canopy at a lovely
beachside spot. Highlights feature such
dishes as Atlantic salmon wrapped in filo
and stuffed with goat cheese, anise, lobster
mushroom, saffron and vanilla: yum!
Coco Bistro Restaurant (%649-946-5369; Ports of
Call plaza, Grace Bay Rd; mains $25-30; hlunch & dinner)
The combined tropical and rustic style of
Coco Bistro is obviously French, as is the in-
fluence on the menu. Surrounded by abun-
dant Haitian art, choose from fresh indoor
dining, or the alfresco option on a palm-
shaded patio. Creative dishes include mus-
sels in curry and hurricane ginger shrimp.
Grace’s Cottage (%649-946-8147; www.pointgrace
.com; Point Grace; mains $26-35; hlunch & dinner) Possi-
bly the finest dining in Caicos. There’s an old
wood-lined bar and intimate tables clothed
in crisp white linen set among flowering
shrubs in an outdoor courtyard. The superb
dishes are unpretentious and delicious; gor-
gonzola and broccoli soup, grilled mango
with lemon and orange duck, and chocolate
CAICOS ISLANDS
soufflé. A romantic and very special meal is
enhanced by professional and friendly staff.
Entertainment
Banana Boat Bar & Grill (%649-941-5706; mains
$15-18; hlunch & dinner) This atmospheric and
gaily painted place, adjoining Turtle Cove
Marina, serves good grilled dishes, burg-
ers and Bahamian cooking. And the night-
life here is brilliant: Thursday is CD night
(bring your own, and preferably not Leon-
ard Cohen or The Wiggles); Friday is a live
calypso or reggae band; Saturday is karaoke,
with renditions sung to much mirth and
commentary; and Sunday night is bingo,
with jackpots of up to $15,000! The latter is
a raucous event that could possibly be the
best night in town.
Calico Jack’s (%649-946-5120; upstairs, Ports of
Call plaza) This place gets packed on a Friday
 250 C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • P r o v i d e n c i a l e s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • W e s t C a i c o s 251

night, with live calypso, reggae and soca DANCE CLUBS rot (%649-946-5829), Marilyn’s Crafts, and the Turtle Cove Marina (%649-941-3781; fax 649-941-
bands playing on the outdoor deck. Regu- Most of the upscale resorts in Grace Bay Night & Day Boutique, all in the Ports of 5782; VHF Ch16) Has more than 100 deep-water slips plus
lars also recommend the pizza restaurant. have dance clubs, including Beaches Resort Call plaza. full services and accommodations.
Bambooz Bar & Grill (%649-946-8146; Salt Mills & Spa and Club Med Turkoise who wel-
Plaza, Grace Bay Rd; mains $9-18; hdinner) The hot come nonguests with a paid entry fee (both Getting There & Around CAR, MOTORCYCLE & SCOOTER
spot: Thursday night karaoke brings in the places charge $30). AIR Mandatory insurance costs $14 and a one-
heavyweight political and religious hoi- Sound Stage (Grace Bay, Leeward Hwy; h4pm-mid- For information on flights to and from the off government tax is also payable. Most
polloi, as well as some serious crooners to belt night Mon, 4pm-2am Fri & Sat, 1-9pm Sun) This is the Turks and Caicos Islands, see p291. rental companies offer free drop-off and
out their favorites (country-and-western best nightspot (if you ignore the poker ma- There are no buses from Providenciales pick-up. The local companies are very good,
ballads go down a storm). The action starts chines indoors), with a great outdoor bar and International Airport. A taxi to Grace Bay and can be cheaper than the internationals.
around 9pm and on weekends continues dance club fringed by palm trees and ocean costs $16 one-way for two people; each Rental drivers may be required to have a
until the early hours. views. A mix of DJ nights, live bands and extra person costs $5. Some resorts have minimum age of 25 years.
Hemingway’s on the Beach (%649-946-5199; jazz evenings keeps everyone happy. Comedy their own minibus transfers. Hertz (%649-941-3910; mystique@tciway.tc), Avis
Sands Resort, Grace Bay) This great little bar serves nights are also planned. There’s a choice of The following airlines fly between the (% 649-946-4705; www.avistci.com) and Budget
some multihued cocktails and tasty plates varied, tasty buffet dishes (mains $18 to $45). Turks and Caicos Islands. (%649-946-4079) are at the airport. Hertz also
of food, while also celebrating the sunset Tight security keeps out the rougher crowds, Air Turks & Caicos (www.airturksandcaicos.com) Grand has an outlet at Southern Shores Centre,
with regular live music. and a strict dress-code applies – smart casual Turk (%649-946-2709); Provo (%649-946-4181); Salt and Budget has an outlet at Town Centre
Hey It’s José (%649-946-4812; Central Square Plaza, and no beanies (knitted skullcaps). Cay (%649-946-6900) Flies between the Caicos, Grand Mall, both on Leeward Hwy.
Leeward Hwy) The free movies on Saturday Turk and Salt Cay. Provo Fun Cycles & Autos (%649-946-5868; provo
night from 9pm pull in the crowds, as do the Shopping Sky King Airlines (%649-941-5464; www.skyking.tc) funcycles@tciway.tc; Ports of Call plaza) based across the
half-price Margaritas at happy hour (which A large selection of beachy items, casual Flies between Provo, Grand Turk and South Caicos. Also to street from Comfort Suites, is friendly and
in Provo normally lasts two hours). clothing, and batiks is offered at Tattooed Par- the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti. helpful. It rents good compact cars and jeeps
Turks & Caicos Airways Provo (%649-946-4255); from $45 per day, scooters for $42, and rents
Grand Turk (%649-946-2709); Sth Caicos (%649-946- mountain bikes for $15 per day.
COLORFUL MEMORIES 3279); Mid Caicos (%649-946-6136); Nth Caicos (%649- Scooter Bob’s (%649-946-4684, scooter@provo.net;
Art fans will love the range of original and affordable artworks on sale in Provo. Some are sold 946-7246); Salt Cay (%649-946-6928; fax 649-946-4483) Turtle Cove Marina Plaza) rents cars and jeeps from
in local stores and hotel reception areas from $15 for an original oil or acrylic painting! Many of Flies between Provo and other Caicos Islands, Salt Cay and $60 per day, motorbikes from $50 per day,
these artworks are copies of original Haitian paintings, but are still talented depictions in their Grand Turk. and rents mountain bikes for $15 per day.
own right. Make sure you hunt out the truly talented Turks and Caicos stars, including the fol- Tropical Auto Rentals (%649-946-5300; tropical@
lowing headline acts/galleries. The following prices are for one-way flights tciway.tc; Ocean Club Plaza, Grace Bay) charges from
! Anna Bourne The North Caicos Art Society in Whitby (North Caicos) sponsor local art, em- from Provo. $65 for compacts and $76 for jeep hire.
phasizing silkscreen painting. Bourne, who lives on Provo, is perhaps the leading artist in the
genre; she paints on silk with French dyes. Destination Price Frequency PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Sporadic buses run routes to some of the
! Dwight A Outten (%649-941-4545; www.artprovo.com; Art Provo, Ocean Club Plaza) Love of nature Grand Turk $75 several daily settlements out of town. A public minibus
CAICOS ISLANDS

and all things Caicos obviously flows in the blood, for Dwight’s flamingos, indigenous birds
Mid Caicos $45 4 weekly
and island houses are similarly as catching, and arguably as good as the paintings of his
Nth Caicos $35 several daily
Rastafarian cousin Phillip Outten.
Salt Cay $55 several daily
! Jean Taylor Gallery (%5649-231-2708; Grace Bay Plaza, Grace Bay Rd) The gallery opens on de- Sth Caicos $65 several daily
mand only, but Taylor’s unique vision of Bahamian life and humor also can be seen at Art
Provo in Ocean Club Plaza. BICYCLE
! Phillip Outten Gallery (%649-941-3610; phillipoutten@tciway.tc; Venetian Rd, off Leeward Hwy) Some Provo Fun Cycles & Autos and Scooter
people consider genial Rastafarian Phillip Outten the leading artist in the Turks and Caicos. Bob’s (see right) rent mountain bikes.
His home – gaily painted in Rasta colors – is his gallery, and he always welcomes visitors. His
best paintings are of the animals and nature he so obviously relishes. BOAT
A plethora of boat charters and trips can be
Al Vern’s Craft Market sits on the side of Turquoise Rd, and is a collection of small huts selling arranged to the islands and cays from Lee-
local paintings and crafts. You will also find some wonderful metal carvings depicting a range ward and Turtle Cove Marinas. See p247.
of scenes: underwater mermaids and mermen entwined with fish and seaweed; school buses full Caicos Marina (%649-946-5416; VHF Ch16) Has a few
of cheerful kids; and cycling Rastafarians. The artists use metal cut from old car wrecks, which slips and basic facilities.
is then painted and varnished. Leeward Marina (%649-946-5553; VHF Ch 16) At the
Bamboo Gallery (%649-946-4748; www.provo.net/bamboo; Market Place, Leeward Hwy) and Art Provo eastern end of the island, has limited services and dockside
(%649-941-4545; www.artprovo.com; Ocean Club Plaza) are two fabulous galleries that sell many leading berths only.
and local artists’ vibrant works. South Side Marina (%649-946-3508; VHF Ch 16) Has
a few slips.
CAICOS ISLANDS
runs along Leeward Hwy; it also runs south-
west as far as South Dock and Sapodilla Bay
($2). Ask at the tourist office for schedules.
TAXI
There are several taxi companies that mainly
use minivans. Many congregate around the
main hotels’ entrances, and are quick to re-
spond to a call. You can call VHF Channel
06 for the dispatcher, or contact the follow-
ing companies.
Nell’s Taxi Service (%649-941-3228)
Provo Taxi & Bus Group (%649-946-5481)
WEST CAICOS
This island is renowned for its fabulous div-
ing, and attracts many dive operators from
Provo. West Caicos was a successful sisal
plantation in the 1800s, complete with rail-
road tracks and a small township. Inland,
 252 C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • F re n c h C a y www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • N o r t h C a i c o s 253

Lake Catherine is a nature reserve that at-
tracts flamingos, ospreys, ducks and wad-
ers. On the coast, the small, sandy beaches
make perfect picnic spots.
The island is 6 miles southwest of Provo,
and was undergoing private development at
the time of writing, which may limit access.
However the sea remains a public do-
main. Molasses Reef harbors the remains of
the oldest known shipwreck in the western
hemisphere, dating from 1513. The reefs off
the west shore are protected within West
Caicos Marine National Park. Other prime
dive sites include Elephant Ear Canyon,
named for the resident 95ft sponges – the
biggest found in the Turks and Caicos. One
10ft-wide monster masks a cave. There’s
also the Magic Mushroom: a sand chute
leads to a precipice where sponges and
black coral anchor the coral buttresses and
nervous lobsters pack the cracks.
There’s no scheduled transport to West
Caicos. To get there, you’ll need to hire a boat
or take a diving tour. See Diving, p246
FRENCH CAY
This tiny cay, about 15 miles due south of
Provo, is an uninhabited wildlife sanctu-
ary protecting more than 2000 nesting and
migrating species of birds, including frigate
birds and ospreys. Stingrays gather in the
seas to give birth, and nurse sharks are also
drawn here during summer to breed. You
will need a permit to visit the cay.
The French pirate L’Olonnois hid here
CAICOS ISLANDS
favorite iguanas named ‘Curious’ normally
checks out visitors. He also outruns and
outwits larger iguanas to reach any food in
the offing. Show these creatures due respect;
iguanas live for up to forty years, and are a
lot more successful at monogamous relation-
ships than humans, managing it for life.
The 170yd-long North Shore Trail leads
from the beach to a shallow mangrove es-
tuary where you can learn about this vital
ecosystem. A lookout deck offers views over
a pond and large osprey nest. Iguanas fre-
quently forage along the 225yd-long South
Shore Trail, which passes through a lush
coastal coppice and also has a lookout deck.
You are requested to stay to the trails to
avoid trampling the iguanas’ burrows and
the ecologically sensitive plants.
Pine Cay
Two miles northeast of Provo, this idyllic
little isle isn’t really for most travelers, unless
you really want to spoil yourself, or just hap-
pen to be a wealthy mega-star. This 800-acre
private cay only welcomes guests by prior ar-
rangement. Seasonal residents include a few
little-known characters; Bill Cosby, Denzel
Washington and Jimmy Buffett, who has a
passion for bonefishing here.
The cay is so far out that it doesn’t take
note of daylight saving time, thereby consti-
tuting its own little time zone. About two-
thirds of the island is set aside as a nature
preserve, accessed by 9 miles of nature trails.
There are semitame iguanas and 120 species
porch fronting the beach. Rooms are austere, Parrot Cay
with neither telephones nor TVs. There’s This private cay, west of North Caicos, is said
also a tennis court, sailboats, sailboards and to have been the lair of pirates Calico Jack
bicycles, and boating tours on the fancy and vicious Anne Bonney in the 1720s. The
launch, with crew decked out in yachting only treasure today is a deluxe resort once
whites. Two children per family (aged four owned by a Kuwaiti shah and the scintillat-
to 17) enjoy complimentary stays. ing 3-mile-long beach. Bring bug spray.
The boat to parrot cay leaves by demand
Fort George Cay from Leeward Marina on Provo. To arrange
This tiny cay, just north of Pine Cay, is a a ride, you call ahead to Parrot Cay club.
national historic site as it’s home to the re- Parrot Cay (%649-946-7788; www.besthotelsresorts
mains of an 18th-century British fort built .com/parrotcay.htm; r $590; nas) This upmar-
to protect the Caicos Islands from attack. ket place, with lots of white and Indonesian
Divers and snorkelers can inspect barnacle- furnishings, is favored by air-kissing celeb-
encrusted cannons lying on the bottom of rities such as Donatella Versace. You can
the ocean. The site is protected within Fort cool off in the infinity pool and relax in
George Land & Sea National Park. the super-deluxe Asian spa. Ancient Eastern
treatments, yoga packages and the week-long
Dellis Cay healing Como Shambhla Retreat encourage
Next north in the necklace of cays, Dellis is mind-over-material-matter thoughts.
locally called Shell Island, and is another reg-
ular stop for tour operators. Enjoy a stroll, NORTH CAICOS
swim and the gorgeous 360-degree views. pop 2075
Thanks to a mix of tide patterns and current, Little-visited North Caicos appeals to eco-
there’s a wealth of shells here. However no tourists. Paved roads make scooters and
shells may be removed from the isle. bicycles a great way to get around. There are
NORTH CAICOS 0
0
400 m
0.2 miles
Whitby
A B Beach
C D
Three Mary Cays
National Park 6
Pumpkin Bluff
Beach Whitby
8 ATLANTIC OCEAN
Three Mary
Caicos Cays
Whitby
Salina 4
Cottage
1 Passage
Pond Pumpkin
Bluff Pond
Sandy
Point
Flamingo

CAICOS ISLANDS
7
while he preyed on Spanish galleons. of birds, including white-tailed tropic birds. 21º55'N
Parrot
Pond
10
East Bay Islands
National Park
Art Pickering’s Provo Turtle Divers makes A fabulous beach runs almost the full Cay 2 Kew
North Caicos
Airport
9

this trip, see p246 for details. Trips include length of the west shore. At its northern end, Dellis Cay Major Hill
swimming and snorkeling with the friendly Sand Dollar Point, you can wade out 400yd in Fort Bay Cay
East
Bay
sharks in summer, and with stingrays year- knee-deep water and search for the eponym- George Cay
Fort George
round. ous shells. A 70ft wreck lies partially sub- Land & Sea Park

merged a stone’s throw from shore, with a 2 1

CAYS EAST OF PROVIDENCIALES
Little Water Cay
This small cay within the Princess Alexan-
dra National Park is a sanctuary for endan-
gered and very cute Turks and Caicos rock
iguanas, as well as graceful ospreys. Many
official and unofficial operators bring out
visitors (around $55 for a half-day trip from
Provo), who must each buy a $5 permit and
be accompanied by an official guide.
The guides will handfeed some of these
little critters who can run like the wind when
Pine
cannon on the seabed. Snorkeling is superb Cay
5 Bottle Creek 3
at the Aquarium, a cove on the east shore of Ramsar Site Bottle
Creek
Pine Cay, with two anemone-covered coral Water Caicos
Richmond
Conch
arms embracing a sandy floor – the anemo- Cay Cay
Bank
nes pulse like little translucent green hearts. SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Pine Cay has a packed-sand airstrip. 21º50'N Library...............................................1 D2
All-inclusive packages and a ban on guest Wades Green Plantation.....................2 B1
EATING
phones and pagers appeal to travelers with a SLEEPING Al's Grocery.....................................(see 3)
taste for luxurious and unpretentious isola- 3 Bottle Creek Lodge.............................3 D2 KH's Food Store...............................(see 8)
Jo Anne’s Bed & Breakfast..................4 C1 Papa Grunt’s Seafood Restaurant.....(see 4)
tion at Meridian Club (US%1-203-602-0300; www Meridian Club....................................5 A2 Super D Café......................................9 C1
Ocean Beach Hotel.............................6 C1
.meridianclub.com; d per week $4,555; nas). One- Parrot Cay..........................................7 A1 TRANSPORT
bed cabañas are tucked amid sand dunes, Pelican Beach Hotel............................8 C1 Gas Station.......................................10 C1 Middle Caicos

food or danger is in sight. One of the guides’ each with lounge, kitchen and screened 72º05'W 72º00'W 71º55'W
 254 C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • N o r t h C a i c o s
four small settlements; tiny Sandy Point and
Kew, and larger Whitby and Bottle Creek.
Kew is located near the island’s center
with a fresh-water sinkhole, and Bottle
Creek is on a breezy coastal bluff 2 miles
south of the airport.
North Caicos gets more rainfall than
other islands and hence has more lush vege-
tation. Traditionally the bread basket of the
island chain, in the last century it was also
the seat of government for these islands.
Farms evolved in colonial times and sloops
were built to transport crops to the other
islands. Mangoes, oranges, and other fruits
and vegetables still thrive beside sea grapes
and sugar apples.
North Caicos hosts the Festarama Festi-
val each July. This annual regatta includes
beach parties, while October’s North Caicos
Extravaganza features a Junkanoo carnival
(a street ‘Carnivale’ with parades, costumes
and goombay music).
Information
There’s a post office in Kew, and Bottle
Creek has a small public library. A fax and
email service is available in the office of
Papa Grunt’s Seafood Restaurant. For emer-
gencies contact the police (Bottle Creek %649-946-
7116; Kew %649-946-7261), or call %911. There
are also two government medical clinics (Bottle
Creek %649-946-7194; Kew %649-946-7397).
Sights & Activities
The Kew area has several historic ruins, in-
CAICOS ISLANDS
cluding the interesting Wades Green Planta-
tion, granted to a British Loyalist by King
George III. The owners struggled to grow
sisal and Sea Island cotton until drought,
hurricanes and bugs drove them out. The
plantation lasted a mere 25 years; the own-
ers abandoned their slaves and left.
Beaches include Pumpkin Bluff, Horsestable
and the lovely deserted Whitby Beach. Pump-
kin Bluff beach is especially beautiful and
the snorkeling is good, with a foundered
cargo ship adding to the allure.
Cottage Pond, a 150ft-deep blue hole on
the northwest coast, attracts waterfowl such
as West Indian whistling ducks, grebes and
waders. Bellfield Landing Pond, Pumpkin
Bluff Pond and Dick Hill Creek attract fla-
mingos, as does a large brine lake, Flamingo
Pond, which floods the center of the island.
The ponds are protected as individual na-
www.lonelyplanet.com
ture reserves and the gangly birds strut
around.
A series of small cays off the northeast
shore are protected within East Bay Islands
National Park, and a trio of cays to the north-
west form Three Mary Cays National Park, an-
other flamingo sanctuary and an osprey
nesting site. The snorkeling is good at Three
Mary Cays National Park and further west
at Sandy Point Beach.
Vast bonefish flats extend east of the
island. The entire south shore is encom-
passed by the Ramsar Site sanctuary, which
is comprised of a vast series of marsh and
intertidal wetlands. It extends to East Cai-
cos, and protects an important breeding site
and nursery for waterfowl, lobster, conch
and fish. The creeks are full of schooling
bonefish and tarpon.
Sleeping & Eating
The best website displaying the North Cai-
cos’ accommodations and rentals is www
.tcimall.tc.
Jo Anne’s Bed & Breakfast (%649-946-7184;
www.tcimall.tc/joannesbnb/index.htm; Whitby; r $80;
n) This modest accommodation option
has an adjoining restaurant and the beach
is a short walk away. Jo Anne also offers a
courtesy van service. More comfortable vil-
las ($200) and two-room oceanfront suites
with kitchen ($110) are also available.
Pelican Beach Hotel (%649-946-7112; www.peli
canbeach.tc; Whitby; r $145; na) Spacious, mod-
estly furnished oceanfront rooms have
wood-paneled walls, tiled floors, and pa-
tios with lounge chairs. The bathrooms are
small but enhanced by hand-painted mo-
tifs. There are no telephones or TVs. Break-
fasts, sandwich lunches and dinner meals
are prepared on request, while a friendly
little bar and restaurant serves good local
dishes including the freshest of grilled fish
with the ubiquitous peas ’n’ rice (mains
around $12 to $25).
Ocean Beach Hotel (%649-946-7113; Whitby; s/d
$115/130) This nice little place has a homey
feel and all the rooms are beachfront with
patios. Rattan furniture adds to the bright
atmosphere. An on-site restaurant and bar
serves meals on request. Fishing charters are
available, and children under 12 stay free.
Bottle Creek Lodge (winter %649-946-7080, sum-
mer %410-968-2214; www.bottlecreeklodge.com; Bottle
Creek; r per six nights $960) A small, modern-style
www.lonelyplanet.com
eco-lodge perched on a ridge on the north-
eastern side of Flamingo Pond. It’s simple
and airy, and features modest furnishings.
All rooms face the sea and prevailing trade
winds. Complimentary kayaks, bikes, snor-
kel gear and fishing rods are supplied.
Papa Grunt’s Seafood Restaurant (%649-946-
7113; mains $6-28;hbreakfast, lunch & dinner; i)
Dinners are by reservation at Jo Anne’s no-
frills diner (which adjoins her B&B). Here
seafood dishes rule, although other fare in-
cludes pizza, sandwiches and burgers.
Super D Café (%649-946-7528) For traditional
Caicos fare head for Super D Café at the
airport.
You can buy produce and groceries at
KH’s Food Store in Whitby and at Al’s
Grocery in Bottle Creek.
Getting There & Around
For information on flights to and from the
island, see p251.
A taxi from the airport to Whitby costs
$10 one-way. Mac of M&M Tours (%649-946-
7338) offers island tours for $30 per hour.
You won’t need more than three hours to
see the entire island.
Many boat and diving operators listed
under Activities (p246) go to North Caicos
(and also have kayaking and cycling).
You can hire bicycles at Whitby Plaza
for $20 per day.
Car rental costs around $80 per day. Try
the following options. They deliver to your
location:
Gardiners (%649-946-7141)
Old Nick (%649-946-7280)
MIDDLE CAICOS
pop 437
The largest of the Caicos islands (48 sq
miles) retains evidence of pre-Columbian
Lucayans: around 38 of their dwelling sites
have been discovered here, many of which
have been excavated by archaeologists.
The fishermen and farmers in the tiny
hamlets of Conch Bar, Bambarra and
Lorimers give visitors a warm welcome.
Bambarra was named for people from the
Bombarras tribe of the Niger River, who
were shipwrecked here in 1842 when a
slavetrader ran aground.
The southern half of the island is composed
of vast intertidal swamplands. Offshore, Vine
Point & Ocean Hole Nature Reserve protects a
C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • M i d d l e C a i c o s 255
HIKING THE ISLAND: MIDDLE
CAICOS RESERVE & TRAIL SYSTEM
Many of the growing ecotourism operations
will take you on an adventure where you’ll
use your feet or a bicycle to experience the
beauty of these islands. However, you may
want to organize this trip yourself.
Miles of beaches, large freshwater lakes
and lavish pine forests can be accessed by
10 miles of trails along the north coast, cre-
ated in conjunction with the Turks & Caicos
National Trust as part of the Ramsar Site.
One trail leads from Mudjen Harbour Beach
to join the historic Crossing Over Trail that
leads from Middle to North Caicos. En route,
it passes the ruins of several Loyalist cotton
plantations, as well as brine pools favored
by cranes and flamingos. Signs at regular
intervals point out highlights of the trek.
The north coast is dramatically scenic,
with long beaches and scalloped bays be-
side rugged limestone cliffs. Mudjen Har-
bour Beach features a huge amphitheater
carved from the raw limestone bluffs. Here,
the long unfurling of turquoise waves is bro-
ken by pretty Dragon Cay, connected to the
shore by a sand spit and surrounded by placid
sea pools; perfect for soaking your feet in
after a trek.
frigate-bird breeding colony, plus a 210ft-
deep, 400yd-wide marine blue hole favored
as a hangout by turtles and sharks. Kayak,
CAICOS ISLANDS
dive or snorkel here; you’ll have a ball.
The Conch Bar Caves National Park protects
15 miles of underground caverns. Some
have lagoons and stalactites and stalagmites,
and most are home to colonies of bats. The
caves were used as sacred sanctuaries by the
Lucayan Indians, who left petroglyphs on
the walls. The most notable Lucayan site is
the Armstrong Pond Village Historical Site.
The island hosts the Middle Caicos Expo
each August.
Contact the operators listed under Ac-
tivities, p246, for diving and boat trips from
Provo to Middle Caicos.
Sleeping & Eating
Budget rates can really only be achieved by
sharing rental accommodation.
Crosswinds (%828-479-1056; www.crosswindstci
.com; per week $900; n) Also close to the little
 256 C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • E a s t C a i c o s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com C A I C O S I S L A N D S • • S o u t h C a i c o s 257

MIDDLE & EAST CAICOS 0

0
12 km
7 miles SOUTH CAICOS 0
0 1 mile
2 km

Mudjen Harbour Juniper Hole

A Beach B Bambarra C D A B C D
Fish 5
Ramsar Site 2 3 Beach 21º50'N
Ponds 4
North Conch Bar
ATLANTIC OCEAN Stake Bank

Sa
Caicos 1 Bambarra

il
6

Ro
1 1

ck Hills
Middle Armstrong
Pond Village Lorimers
Belle Sound & Admiral Cockburn
Caicos

Cr
Historical Site Cays Nature Reserve

os
sin
gO
Ramsar Site
Big

ve
Horse

rT
Pond Cay

ra

oug h
il
Turks Island

Thr
Ocean Hole Jacksonville
Caicos Bank

ing
Vine Point & Ocean Passage
Vine Point Hole Nature Reserve Belle

Go
Sound

rd
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES wa East Caicos
nd
2 Conch Bar Caves National Park...........1 B1 Wi 2 Cockburn Harbour
Airport The
Seascape Villa.....................................5 B1 Fishing Arch
SLEEPING Sundial Villa........................................6 B1 21º40'N
5
Blue Horizon Resort............................2 B1
Crosswinds..........................................3 B1 EATING
Dreamscape Villa................................4 B1 Island Pride Grocery Store................(see 2)
71º50'W 71º40'W 71º30'W
INFORMATION
First Caribbean International Bank.....................
1 A3

village of Bambarra, this two-bed house EAST CAICOS SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
sits on stilts, with views of the surrounding The least-visited island of the chain is 21º50'N Salinas
Old Salt Warehouses..........................2 A3
Sea View Marina................................3 A3
bush and ocean in the distance. There’s a often labeled ‘uninhabited,’ although there
3 1 SLEEPING
modern kitchen, and the cool and spacious is an impoverished settlement of Hai- South Caicos Ocean Haven................4 A3
3 Cockburn
open-plan living is enhanced by the simple, tians. It’s also home to small herds of wild Caicos
6
Harbour
EATING
white rattan furniture. cattle and flocks of flamingos flaunting 4
Sharks Dora's Restaurant...............................5 A2
Bank East Bay
Sundial Villas (%604-576-9369; www.sundialvillas their neon-pink liveries. Neverending miles 2
Bay Muriel's Restaurant............................6 A3

.com; r per night/week $150/1050) This colorful and of beaches are perfect for the adventurous 71º50'W

cheerful two-bed villa close to Bambarra beachcomber.

has comfy appeal, with a great family room, With no air service; East Caicos can be Most historic buildings are at the south- blacktip sharks, and the highlight, hump-
kitchen and screened veranda. Perfect for reached only by boat. east end of town, centered on the old back whales in January and February. Boat
families, additional joys (simple ones are Wesleyan church with its tall spire. By its lone- and diving operators based in Providen-
always the best) include a bread machine, SOUTH CAICOS some atop Tucker’s Hill at the south end of ciales make this trip (see p246); contact
dried herbs, spices and use of the houseown- pop 1939 town is the old commissioner’s house. them for details.
er’s private thatched tiki hut on the adjacent After the salt industry passed on, lobster- Much of the island is within the Belle Sitting over the ocean at the edge of
CAICOS ISLANDS

CAICOS ISLANDS
beach. Get out the Jackie Collins novel and and conch-fishing long provided this arid Sound & Admiral Cockburn Cays Nature Reserve. town, the comfortable rooms at South Caicos
watch your kids splash in the sea. Bliss. island, 22 miles west of Grand Turk, with It encompasses the Sail Rock Hills, a ridge ex- Ocean Haven (%649-946-3444; r $120; nas)
Blue Horizon Resort (%649-946-6141; www.bhres a reasonably healthy income. However this tending along the panhandle and rising to have cable TV and refrigerators. The meals
ort.com; r $185; na) This residential and vaca- industry has also experienced problems and 178ft. The hills offer spectacular views east here are also tasty and filling. Keep in mind
tion community in pretty Mudjen Harbour many islanders have drifted to Provo in the over the Turks Island Passage and west over that meal reservations are required for
overlooks Dragon Cay and has stunning last decade. Belle Sound, a vast turquoise bay opening to nonguests.
views of the ocean. Set in 50 acres, it has at- Cockburn Harbour, the only settlement, is per- the flats of the Caicos Bank. The reserve Other good spots to eat include Muriel’s
tractive blue-and-white rental cottages with fect to launch across the 40-mile-wide Caicos extends west for several miles to protect Restaurant (%649-946-3535; Graham St; mains $6-20;
porches, full modern kitchens and a TV. Bank in search of bonefish. In addition bird- the mangroves and bonefish flats, and also hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) and Dora’s Restaurant
Also recommended is the spacious three- watchers may flock here (sorry) to see the extends windward to protect the offshore (%649-946-3247; Airport; mains $7-22; hbreakfast,
bedroom Dreamscape Villa (%649-946-6175; www. flamingos that inhabit the vast salinas (salt coral reefs. lunch & dinner), which serves a great lobster
middlecaicos.com; r per week $1700; na) at stunning ponds) on the northeast edge of the harbor; South Caicos is known for its wall-diving, sandwich.
Bambarra Beach (priced for four adults). Sea- dozens of flamingos are resident year-round. plus you’re sure to see plenty of pelagic The airport is about a mile north of town.
scape Villa (per week $1850; na), also priced for However it is divers who will really bubble animals, including eagle rays, Atlantic rays, See p251 for flight information.
four adults, is a three-bedroom home with with joy. A reef and wall run the length of the
sea views, cathedral ceiling, flowering shrubs east coast, meaning both 20ft and wall dives
and a screened-in porch. offer fabulous marine-life encounters.
Groceries can be bought at the Island In town, withdraw money from the First
Pride Grocery Store. Caribbean International Bank (%649-946-3268; fax
For flight information, see p251. 649-946-3388; Lee St).
 © Lonely Planet Publications
CAICOS ISLANDS 258 www.lonelyplanet.com

© Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
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 © Lonely Planet Publications
258 www.lonelyplanet.com T U R K S I S L A N D S • • H i s t o r y 259

TURKS ISLANDS 0
0
8 km
4 miles
National Parks

Turks Islands
71º10'W Native flora and fauna are protected within
ATLANTIC 33 areas set aside as national parks, nature
See Grand
Turk Map OCEAN reserves, sanctuaries, and sites of historical
21º30'N (p260)
interest under the aegis of Turks & Caicos
Grand
Columbus Landfall Turk Islands National Parks.
National Park Cockburn Town The Turks and Caicos National Trust has
established an underwater snorkeling trail
Days simply drift by on these traditional, sleepy islands. Daylight hours are filled with snor- Turks Island off Grand Turk and initiated countrywide
keling and diving, and quiet villages occasionally burst into activity when fishing boats Passage
Long
Cay studies of bird populations. See the Envir-
return with bright silver fish and gleaming pink conch. onment chapter (p44) for more informa-
Grand Turk Cays
Land & Sea Park tion and contact details.
Quiet evenings are spent sipping spiced rum on wooden decks against a backdrop of milky Columbus Landfall National Park covers
turquoise seas and pink skies. In beachside bars, expats, Belongers and bureaucrats engage Cotton the Western shore and coral reefs off Cock-
East
Cay
Cay burn Town; the ocean deep begins within
in noisy debate about development and cruise-ship plans for their island, while fishermen 21º20'N
400yd of shore and the marine life here is
recall days when the ocean’s now-barren shallows were lined with conch, and fish filled the Balfour Town Salt Cay
extraordinary.
waves close to shore. South Creek National Park incorporates
See Salt Cay
Map (p267) the mangroves and wetlands along Grand
The Turks group includes Grand Turk and its southern neighbor, Salt Cay, and several tiny Turk’s south shore, and is home to migrat-
cays. The islands lie east of the Caicos, separated by the 22-mile-wide Turks Island Passage. Mouchoir
ing shorebirds and waders.
Grand Turk Cays Land & Sea Park, off
Passage
Divers head for Salt Cay and the stunning reef wall that is a few hundred yards off Grand the southeast shore, consists of Gibb’s, Pen-
Turk. It stretches the island’s length before plunging more than 8000ft into a deep blue chasm. niston, Long, and Martin Alonza Pinzon
Nature lovers enjoy the arrival of rare green and hawksbill turtles, which come ashore to lay Big Sand Cays. It contains important nesting sites
Cay
for seabirds, as well as abundant iguanas
their eggs. Bird-watchers delight in the variety of birds that can be seen at Gibb’s, Penniston, 21º10'N HMS Endymion and Turk’s Head cacti. The marine life also
Wreck
Long, and Martin Alonza Pinzon Cays, known as the Grand Turk Cays Land & Sea Park. includes pelagics, stingrays, sea mammals
and fish.
The ocean’s depths, full of colorful life and velvety darkness, envelop birthing humpback History
whales. The quiet awe of a dive with these creatures will never be forgotten. The Lucayan Indians paddled their way to Getting There & Away
Grand Turk, the Caicos and the Bahamian Most travelers to the Turks Islands fly into
islands at the turn of the 9th century. From Grand Turk’s International Airport (via
these early days the Turks and Caicos and Providenciales or Nassau in New Provi-
HIGHLIGHTS MacDonalds the Bahamas shared a similar history. Lo- dence, the Bahamas), a few miles from
! Hug a grouper! Take a dive near Grand Turk’s MacDonalds Cockburn Town cals claim that the islands were Christopher Cockburn Town.
(p263), embrace the island’s two pet groupers and fly under- Columbus’ first landfall in 1492. Experts,
water with eagle rays however, have debunked the theory.
The Turks and Caicos relied upon salt ex- A CONFUSED CREST
! Share some spicy rum and lively conversation with divers and
port, which was the backbone of the British Artists were asked to submit a design for
perhaps a former governor at Cockburn Town’s Sand Bar (p265)
colony until the 1950s. Today finance, tour- the territory’s colonial crest in 1860. The
! Go whale watching or diving at Salt Cay (p267) for an amazing ism, and fishing create most income, but the selected design showed a schooner in the
encounter with these ocean gods islands can’t survive without British aid. background and two men in the foreground
! Ride a bicycle (p265) to enjoy the space, the ocean and the Salt Cay Relations between the islanders and their raking heaps of salt, or ‘white gold.’ It was
breeze on your face British-appointed governors have been a typical and relevant island scene of the
strained since 1996, when the incumbent 19th century.
! Party at the Conch Carnival (p263) when beach bonfires
governor suggested that government and Unfortunately, the London flag maker
burn, kayaks race, iron men strain and goombay music
police corruption had turned the islands into hired to complete the job assumed that the
TURKS ISLANDS

keeps you dancing
! TELEPHONE CODE: 649
a haven for drug trafficking. These com-
ments appeared in the Offshore Finance An-
nual, and opponents accused the governor
of harming investment. Growing opposition
threatened to spill over into civil unrest. The
! POPULATION: 5967 ! AREA: 14 SQ MILES
issue created a resurgence in calls for inde-
pendence, which still continue today.
TURKS ISLANDS
salt heaps were igloos and added entrances
to the white mounds.
The flag was finally updated in 1967 to
include a new crest, depicting the country’s
indigenous spiny lobster, queen conch, and
Turk’s Head cactus.
 260 G R A N D T U R K
Getting Around
You’ll need your own transportation if you
want to explore the island outside of Cock-
burn Town, where you can rent a car or bi-
cycle. In town you can walk around easily,
but bicycles are also available for rent.
There is a twice-daily flight and a twice-
weekly ferry to Salt Cay, where most people
use bicycles, golf carts or their legs to get
around.
GRAND TURK
Donkeys, horses and chickens ramble in
tatty, contented groups on Grand Turk’s
winding roads. The narrow, sleepy streets
are lined with houses from the early 1800s
with overhanging creaking balconies, faded
paint and swathes of brilliant scarlet bou-
gainvillea; while leafy trees cast dappled
shade over passing bicycles carrying Be-
longers, who smile while asking ‘How are
you today?’
Grand Turk is a charming, offbeat gem
with a rare sense of innocence. At just 6½
miles long and 1½ miles across at its widest,
this small island is centered on sleepy Cock-
burn Town, which, amazingly, has been the
administrative and political capital of the
archipelago for more than 400 years.
Limestone cliffs rise along the north
and east shores, and unspoilt beaches line
the island with South, Governor’s and
Corktree Beaches the clear winners, while
inland there are caves once used by Lu-
cayans. Many Belongers and expats live
in more modern homes in the eastern
‘suburbs,’ where the land rises to Colonel
Murray’s Hill.
The island’s middle is dominated by sev-
eral salinas, or salt ponds, which nowadays
attract birds and mosquitoes rather than
those working to extract pure salt. Salt, or
‘white gold,’ was the island’s most impor-
tant export until the industry collapsed in
1962. The entrancing groups of wandering
horses and donkeys on the islands are ac-
TURKS ISLANDS
tually descendants of the beasts of burden
that worked on the salt plantations back
in the 17th century, carrying 25lb bags of
salt from the ponds to the warehouses and
docks. When salt production was halted
the creatures were set free to roam as they
pleased.
www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G R A N D T U R K • • C o c k b u r n T o w n 261
GRAND TURK 0
0
1 km
0.5 miles
COCKBURN TOWN FRONT STREET
pop 5525 Many waterfront government buildings are
A B This charming business center consists of weathered but still retain a faded glory, not-
INFORMATION a bank, a few shops, the post office, some ably the handsome General Post Office. Here
Grand Turk Hospital..............1 A3
Police.....................................2 A5
ATLANTIC government buildings and a museum. You the Philatelic Bureau displays scores of the
1
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES OCEAN would never guess that this was the nation’s beautiful stamps for which the Turks and
Government Offices..............3 A6 capital; the faded colonial buildings and Caicos are justly famous.
Governor’s House..................4 A5 Northeast
Point empty streets are the antithesis of Provo’s A small grassed plaza contains the Co-
SLEEPING sophisticated allure. Yet visitors find them- lumbus Monument which claims cheekily and
Arawak Inn & Beach Club...... 5
Arches....................................6
A6
B3
selves easily adjusting to a slow and relaxed confidently that the explorer landed here
Island House..........................7 B3 pace that matches this dozing and amiable on October 12, 1492.
backwater. Old warehouses built of lime- Important historic buildings further
Pillory Beach Resort...............8 A3
stone and two-tiered wooden buildings north include little St Mary’s Anglican Church,
Lighthouse Rd
TRANSPORT
Gas Station............................9 B3
with shuttered windows elongate the town St Thomas Anglican Church, the pink-faced Vic-
2 along the coastline. On the edges of town toria Public Library, Oddfellows Lodge and the
21º30'N
Turks Island Flamingo
live the less-affluent Belongers. A few hotels battered Masonic Lodge.
Passage Fishing Beach and expat holiday homes are beginning to The excellent Turks & Caicos National Museum
Corktree
sprout here. (%649-946-2160; www.tcmuseum.org; Front St; non-
Beach North
Creek
residents $5; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Wed, 9am-
Orientation 1pm Sat) displays shell tools, beads, stamps,
The heart of town is sandwiched between the locks and greenstone celts (tools) dug up
Fisherman’s ocean and the salt pond named Red Salina. from the past. Other sections are devoted to
Beach
7
6
Front St runs one way, along the waterfront, the salt industry and life on the coral reef.
3 Pillory
then narrows and becomes Duke St three Its central exhibit is the remains from the
Beach
8
1
9
blocks south of the government plaza. Molasses Reef, the oldest authenticated ship-
Pond St runs parallel 50yd to the east, wreck in the Americas, whose hull is shown
d
ital R
along Red Salina. To the north Pond St di- alongside the world’s largest collection of
Front St
Hosp
vides: Hospital St runs north to the hospital wrought-iron breech-loading cannon. A
See Cockburn Town
Map (p262)
and Lighthouse Rd runs northeast to the gallery upstairs has an incredible, lifelike 3D
lighthouse at Northeast Point. Lighthouse underwater display; a natural history gallery
Town Salina Rd then divides to follow the waterfront to with displays on local wildlife; and a room
21º28'N Governor’s Beach and the dock, and run devoted to the pre-Columbian Taino culture,
4 Cockburn
Colonel southeast to the airport. featuring a Taino paddle – one of only two
Town
Columbus Murray’s
Landfall Hill ever found – dating to AD 1100. Tours are
Information
National Red
Park Salina given at 2pm weekdays upon request.
Businesses and government offices close at
3pm on Friday. Some businesses open 9am DUKE STREET
to 1pm on Saturday. Public phones can be South of downtown’s main area, Duke St
Airp
ort
Great
found at most central places. is lined by stone walls behind which a few
Rd
Salina Cable & Wireless (%649-946-2200; cwtci@tciway.tc; mansions have been turned into rakish inns,
2 Front St; i) notably the old Turk’s Head Inn (sadly it
5 Emergency (ambulance, fire, police %911) belongs to a film production company and
South Creek
National Park
Federal Express (%649-231-6097; mobile office) is being used for shoots in made-for-TV
Grand Turk
Airport South First Caribbean International Bank (%649-946- B-movies) and the Salt Raker Inn. Equally
Creek
2831; Front St) disappointing is the barren reef off Duke
4
Waterloo General Post Office (%649-946-1334; Front St) Street’s beach, which is void of marine life.
Governor’s
Hawkes Pond
Salina
Grand Turk Hospital (%649-946-2333; Hospital Rd)
Beach
Police (%649-946-2299) AROUND TOWN
TURKS ISLANDS
Dock 3
21º26'N Scotiabank (%649-946-2507; Front St) North of town, the island divides like a tun-
5
Hawkes Nest
Salina Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board (%649-946- ing fork, with the prongs separated by North
6 2321; www.turksandcaicostourism.com; Front St) Creek. A 2-mile-long lagoon opens to the sea
via a pencil-thin mouth. Flamingo Beach (Map
White Sands Beach
Sights p260) and Fisherman’s Beach (Map p260) run
The Turks & Caicos Island Tourist Board south from Northeast Point; seaweed and
Booby Rock Point 71º08'W
hands out free Heritage Walk pamphlets. choppy waters detract from swimming.
 262 G R A N D T U R K • • C o c k b u r n T o w n www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G R A N D T U R K • • C o c k b u r n T o w n 263

COCKBURN TOWN 0
0 0.2 miles
400 m
A century-old cast-iron lighthouse blinks diving rates). Trips to dive close to breeding
To Pillory To Grand Turk To Northeast Point
myopically from Northeast Point, while humpback whales (when in season), and to
Beach A Hospital B (3.5mi) C D nearby Corktree Beach (Map p260) and Pillory explore the 18th-century wreck off Salt Cay
Resort (0.8mi)
(0.8mi) Beach (Map p260) are great for bathing. certainly should be considered!
INFORMATION The government dock is at Waterloo, 1½ The small outfit Sea Eye Diving (%649-946-
Cable & Wireless Office.............1 A4
1 First Caribbean Intl Bank............2 A4 miles south of Cockburn Town. Also here 2432; www.seaeyediving.com; Duke St) also offers a
General Post Office....................3 A3 is lovely, pine-shaded Governor’s Beach (Map trip to Gibbs Cay ($50), two-tank dives
Government Buildings................4 A3
Police.........................................5 A2 p260), a popular picnic and party spot for ($60) and night dives ($45).
Scotiabank.................................6
Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist
A3 Belongers. Unfortunately plans for cruise- Multitalented Mitch Rollins, the dive
Murphy
Alley Board.....................................7 A2 ship stops may informally ‘sequester’ this operator at Blue Water Divers (%649-945-1226;
16
part of the island. www.grandturkscuba.com; Island Creations, Duke St),
Hosp
Mid
Front

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

dle

Grand Turk’s other highlights are the of- also sings and plays guitar at the Salt Raker
ital

9 26
Blue Wave Divers...................(see 30)
Rd
St

St

The Courthouse................................8 B5
ficial Governor’s residence (1815; Map p260) at Wa- Inn at night. He offers a full range of dives
Rd

e
us

25 Island
ho

Masonic Lodge..........................9 A2
ht

terloo; a grand old dame of a house that was including two-tank dives ($70) and night
Lig

Methodist Church....................10 B4
2 Oasis Divers.............................11 A5
built the year of the famous battle for which dives ($45).
5 Oddfellows Lodge...................12 A2
7
12
Town Salina
Philatelic Bureau.......................(see 3) the village is named. The island’s dock is
t St Mary’s Anglican Church.......13 A3
et S
Mark32 St Thomas Anglican Church..... 14 D4 here, as is the US missile-tracking station SPORTFISHING
Sea Eye Diving.........................15 A6 where John Glenn was debriefed in 1962 You can charter a boat for fishing from
Turks & Caicos National
6
Museum..............................16 A2 when he splashed down off Grand Turk. Dutchie’s (%649-946-2244; Airport Rd) for between
Osborne Rd Turks Head Inn........................17 A5
Victoria Public Library..............18 A3
Dirt roads lead south to White Sands Beach $300 and $400 daily.
18 (Map p260) for snorkelers, and east to three
Victoria St SLEEPING prime bird-watching spots: Hawkes Pond Sal- Festivals & Events
Pond St

Jungle Bungalow..................... 19 A5
The island hosts a Spring Garden Festival each
Front St

Manta House...........................20 A5 ina, Hawkes Nest Salina, and South Creek

3
Columbus
North Apartment...................(see 20)
Osprey Beach Hotel.................21 A6
National Park, which protects the man- April. The merriment of the Conch Carnival
Landfall
National Park
13
Salt Raker Inn..........................22 A5 groves and wetlands along the island’s in June is in no doubt. Four days of fun
4
Seabreeze Guesthouse.............23 A5
southeast shore. include treasure hunts, kayak relays, iron
Plaza dive-master competitions and much danc-
3
Activities ing and partying. The Queen’s Official Birth-
Turks 2 Local divers have compiled dive-site maps day Celebration features the police marching
Island
Mission Folly O
sb
14 that list over 23 superb pristine wall-dive band playing with jingoistic fervor.
or
Passage
ne
Rd
sites. These will show you anything you Cultural and musical events occur in
1
desire to see. Also extraordinary are night May, August, September and November.
4 10
dives, when the coral glows as if embedded These include the Ripshaw Music Festival,
Red
Salina
with huge luminescent gemstones. Some when Turks and Caicos rake ’n’ scrape mu-
31 Back Salina have mentioned Black Forest, where five sicians gather to out-rake and out-scrape
types of black coral cling to an undercut each other with much exuberance.
St
Duke

Cemetery

Moxie Folly
festooned with sponges; Macdonalds, a The annual Grand Turk Game Fishing Tourna-
17 To Colonel coral arch where all sorts of fish, from giant ment is held at the end of July or in early Au-
27 Murray's
Hill (0.6mi) friendly groupers to angelfish, hang out; and gust. The annual Turks & Caicos International
28
8 the Tunnels, where sand chutes slope down Billfish Tournament is held each July.
11
to the entrance of twin tunnels that drop to There’s a Cactus Fest in August, plus a
5 34 100ft and emerge in a sponge theme park. weeklong carnival with reggae music and
EATING
23
22 Courtyard Cafe........................24 A5 There are a number of diving outfits (also general festivities.
29
20
Dot's Food Fair........................25 A2 offering snorkel trips) in Cockburn and Salt December has a marathon run that tests
t
d S

R&R Minimart..........................26 B2
19 Sarah's.....................................27 C5 Cay, testament to how many of the locals the physical mettle of all competitors, the
Pon

24 Secret Garden Restaurant......(see 22) and visitors make the most of these fabu- usual joyous occasions and an annual Christ-
Water’s Edge...........................28 A5
30 lous coral reefs. mas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
DRINKING
TURKS ISLANDS

TURKS ISLANDS
Sand Bar..................................29 A5
21 Robert
Alley DIVING & SNORKELING Sleeping
15
James
SHOPPING
Island Creations.......................30 A6
Oasis Divers (%649-946-1128; www.oasisdivers.com; There are a number of rental houses both
6 St
X’s Place.................................. 31 A4 Duke St) offers two-tank dives ($70), popular downtown and around the island that are
33

TRANSPORT
night dives ($40) and equipment rentals particularly great for families. Most of the
Air

To Waterloo
for reasonable rates. Packages and special expat businesses also manage rentals for ab-
po

(1.5mi); Gas Station..............................32 A2

rt

Gas Station..............................33 A6
Governor's
excursions include the wonderful Gibb’s sent owners, so just ask around, and check
Rd

Beach (1.5mi); Val's Scooter Rentals............... 34 A5

Dock (1.5mi) To Airport (1mi) Cay and hand-feeding stingrays ($50 plus the websites listed in the Directory (p270).
 264 G R A N D T U R K • • C o c k b u r n T o w n
COCKBURN TOWN
Manta House (%649-946-111; www.grandturk-manta
house.com; Duke St; s/d $70/75; na) This lovely
little guesthouse is an idyllic old wooden
single-story home with polished wood floors,
romantic Caribbean pastels and tasteful
decor. A complimentary continental break-
fast, small shared living room, fridge and
back garden help make this a superb place to
stay, budget price or not. With uninterrupted
sea views from the front yard, the cottage is
also just across the road from a tiny beach
and the Sand Bar.
Jungle Bungalow (%649-946-111; www.grandturk
-mantahouse.com; Duke St; r per week incl breakfast $995;
na) Adjacent to the Manta House, this
equally charming place has a more romantic
edge, and is made for glamorous couples on
a midrange budget. The simple but elegant
decor incorporates animal prints, polished
wood floors and a white sofa. You can also
lounge in the back garden and relish the sea
views from your doorstep.
Seabreeze Guesthouse (%649-946-1594; www.sea
breeze.tc; Duke St; r per week $1400; na) This ami-
able and attractive blue-and-white house
sits in the lovely, leafy part of Duke St, and
is a five-minute walk away from restaur-
ants, bars and the town beach. A top-story
balcony spans the front of the house, with
hammocks conveniently hung to watch life
go by from. Three bedrooms make this a
good-value option for sharing couples or
a large family, as do the barbecue, bicycles,
cable TV and DVD/CD player. Beach towels
and other necessary linen are provided.
Salt Raker Inn (%649-946-2260; www.saltraker.com;
Duke St; r per week $85-110; na) This 150-year-old
former home of a Bermudian shipwright has
been turned into an intimate, oceanfront inn.
The Caribbean charm and friendly atmos-
phere compensate for the Inn’s worn appear-
ance (there are different rates for renovated
and unrenovated rooms). All rooms have
ceiling fans, fridges, and verandas. Upstairs
suites have an ocean-view balcony with ham-
mocks. The informal Secret Garden Restau-
rant (see opposite) is set in a quaint patio.
TURKS ISLANDS
North Bungalow (%649-946-111; www.grandturk
-mantahouse.com; Duke St; r per week incl breakfast $1300;
na) The third of the super Manta House
lodgings is made for small families. Polished
wood floors gleam throughout the lodg-
ings and the raised kitchen and additional
space make it an appealing proposition. The
www.lonelyplanet.com
attractive and comfortable living room is
perfect for lounging after a hard day’s diving
or sand-castle production on the beach. TVs
can be supplied upon request. Use of the back
garden and that view lend even more allure!
Osprey Beach Hotel (%649-946-2666; www.osprey
beachhotel.com; r $160; nas) This hotel has
a great seafront position at the leafy end of
Duke St, and the rooms are cool, spotlessly
clean and spacious. Standard suites come
with a well-equipped kitchen, while deluxe
rooms have more upmarket decor. All rooms
are oceanfront and equipped with a phone,
a coffee maker, cable TV and a private little
balcony. It is only a short walk to the eateries
and bars down the street, although the ho-
tel’s seafront alfresco restaurant is perfect for
a quiet meal and restful glass of something
cool; enjoy the killer key lime pie! Dive and
meal-plan package rates include taxes, and it
is cheaper to book directly with the hotel.
AROUND COCKBURN TOWN
Island House (Map p260; %649-946-1519; www.island
house-tci.com; Grand Turk; d $90; pnas) Book
ahead to beat the regulars for small suites in
this attractive and soothing Mediterranean-
style whitewashed villa set on the crest of a
hill. Prior bookings also receive discounted
rates. Comfortable and spotless rooms in-
clude contemporary kitchens, en suites, cable
TV and balconies with hammocks. Rates in-
clude free use of utility vehicles and airport
transfers. Beaches are a 10-minute drive from
this tranquil, friendly and great value place.
Arches (Map p260; %649-946-2941; www.grandturk
arches.com; r $180; pnas) Another fabu-
lous place, just up the road from Island
House, enjoys a breezy ridgetop setting
with views over the Atlantic. Four immac-
ulate, spacious, self-contained apartments
have been lovingly decorated in white and
blue and offer the feel of a modern apart-
ment. Great for families, but you will need
a car to get around.
Pillory Beach Resort (Map p260; %649-946-2135;
N Front St; s/d per 3 nights $450/600; pnas)
This pristine and attractive beachside re-
sort offers modern and bright rooms, each
with two double beds, telephone, cable TV
and ocean-view balcony. A guest-only dive
operation and top-class restaurant serving
food with European influences makes this
an enticing option. The stretch of wonder-
ful beach that lines this resort should appeal
www.lonelyplanet.com
to families as well as lounging couples.
Some great dive packages are on offer.
Arawak Inn & Beach Club (Map p260; %649-946-
2277; fax 649-946 2279; r $180; pnas) This
gleaming yellow and white place is a couple
of miles south of town on a secluded and
gorgeous strip of beach.
Eating & Drinking
Secret Garden Restaurant (%649-946-2260; www
.saltraker.com; Duke St; mains $15-26) The French
owner’s influences are obvious in the menu
of this alfresco restaurant. Try the garlic
chicken breast, the Saltraker Plate, lobster
or the day’s catch, plus splendid desserts
such as cherry pie with ice cream. Live
music, thanks to Mitch Rollins, creates a
sing-along atmosphere.
Courtyard Café (%649-946-2666; Duke St; mains $5-
15; hbreakfast & lunch) This friendly café serves
the best breakfasts in town. The all-in ome-
lettes are tasty and filling, and light lunches
can be enjoyed in a shady courtyard. Waf-
fles, cinnamon rolls, and bagels and cream
cheese are other breakfast staples.
Water’s Edge (%649-946-1680; Duke St; mains $6-
24; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner; i) This informal
restaurant and bar has the best location in
town, and makes the most of it. A wooden
deck overlooks the beach and is the per-
fect location for a yummy crab salad, cajun
snapper and cocktails.
Sand Bar (%649-946-1111; Duke St; hnoon-1am)
This small but vibrant alfresco bar attracts
an eclectic crowd of ex-governors, ani-
mated lawyers and innocent passersby en-
ticed in to sip killer rum cocktails and chat
the evening away. Others happily consume
bar food on the beachside deck.
Groceries can be bought from Dot’s Food Fair
(Hospital Rd), R&R Minimart (Lighthouse Rd; h8:30am-
1pm, 4-9pm Mon-Sat) and Sarah’s (off Moxey Rd;
h7:30am-6:30pm Mon-Sat).
Shopping
Island Creations (%649-946-1594; Duke St; h8am-
5pm) Down the south end of Duke St, this
small store sells some beautiful hand-dyed
silk slips, T-shirts and dresses. Ceramic pic-
tures and other enticements show a love of
color and an upbeat feel.
X’s Place (%649-946-1299; Duke St; h9:30am-
sundown Mon-Sat) This is a trove of Haitian art,
antiques, antique maps drawn by hand, and
carved items.
G R A N D T U R K • • C o c k b u r n T o w n 265
Getting There & Away
AIR
Refer to the Transportation chapter (p292)
for information on international flights to/
from the Turks and Caicos.
The following airlines fly between the
Turks and Caicos Islands.
Air Turks & Caicos (www.airturksandcaicos.com) Grand
Turk (%649-946-2709); Provo (%649-946-4181); Salt
Cay (%649-946-6900) Flies between the Caicos, Grand
Turk and Salt Cay.
Sky King Airlines (%649-941-5464; fax 649-941-
5127; www.skyking.tc) Flies between Provo, Grand Turk
and South Caicos. Also to the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica,
Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Turks & Caicos Airways Provo (%649-946-4255);
Grand Turk (%649-946-2709); Sth Caicos (%649-946-
3279); Mid Caicos (%649-946-6136); Nth Caicos (%649-
946-7246); Salt Cay (%649-946-6928, fax 649-946-4483)
Flies between Provo, other Caicos Islands, Salt Cay and
Grand Turks.
The prices quoted are for one-way flights.
Route Price Frequency
Grand Turk–Provo $75 several daily
Grand Turk–Salt Cay $35 2 daily
Grand Turk–Mid Caicos $112 3 weekly
Grand Turk–Sth Caicos $65 3 daily
Grand Turk–Nth Caicos $105 several daily
BOAT
A ferry runs biweekly from Grand Turk
to Salt Cay ($12 round-trip). Contact Salt
Cay Charters (%649-231-6663; piratequeen3@hotmail
.com). Whale-watching boat trips with this
company cost $75.
A government ferry runs from the South
Dock on Grand Turk on Monday, Wednes-
day and Friday afternoons ($12 round-
trip). Call the Harbormaster (%649-946-2325)
in Grand Turk for information.
Flamingo Cove Marina (%649-946-2227; VHF
Channel 16) has a few slips and basic facilities.
Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
TURKS ISLANDS
Taxis meet incoming flights and cost $7 to
Cockburn Town. There are no buses, but
prebooked hire cars will meet your plane.
BICYCLE
You can rent a bicycle at Sea Eye Diving
(%649-946-2432; Duke St) for $15 per day.
 266 S A LT C AY • • I n f o r m a t i o n
CARS & SCOOTERS
You’re hardly likely to need a car in town,
but pay attention anyway to the one-way
system along Duke and Front Sts.
You will need a car or scooter to explore
further afield. In this case be aware that
groups of donkeys, horses, dogs and chickens
are likely to stroll at will on and off the roads,
so drive slowly, especially around bends!
Cars are available for $80 about day. You
can hire air-con cars from the following.
Ed-Rico’s Rent-a-Car (%649-946-1744, 649-946-
1042; seacair@tciway.tc; Churchill Bldg, Front St) Will do
airport pickup/drop offs.
Tony’s Car Rental (%649-231-1806; Grand Turk
Airport, Airport Rd)
Val’s Scooter Rentals (%649-946-1022, 649-946-
1022; per day $40; Duke St) Near Water’s Edge restaurant.
TAXI
Several locals run taxis on Grand Turk. Ask
at your hotel or restaurant for recommenda-
tions. If you hire a taxi for an island tour, be
sure to negotiate the fare beforehand.
GRAND TURK CAYS LAND & SEA PARK
Gibb’s, Penniston, Long, and Martin Alonza
Pinzon Cays make up this small park (Map
p259) southeast of Grand Turk. It protects
important nesting sites for seabirds and
there are also large numbers of Turk’s Head
cacti. Penniston is an important nesting site
for frigate birds, and boobies and noddy
and sooty terns abound on Gibb’s. The
terns come to Gibb’s each May and June to
breed (the females lay a single egg in a thick
carpet of cactus spines); human visitation
is discouraged during these months. Long
Cay is a separate sanctuary with a popula-
tion of iguanas.
There’s no scheduled transportation;
you’ll need to rent a boat and guide in
Cockburn Town. However, dive and tour
operators in Provo (see p246) and Grand
Turk (see p263) offer trips.
SALT CAY
TURKS ISLANDS
pop 339
This lovely little spot on the Turks Passage
is barely 3 miles across, but is rich in nature,
the highlight of which is the annual visit of
the graceful and gentle humpback whales. The
deep waters that surround this cay are perfect
www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com S A LT C AY • • A c t i v i t i e s 267
breeding grounds for whales, and the lucky SALT CAY 0
0
1 km
0.5 miles
people who visit at this time may witness Northeast
some real miracles. Boats set out from Grand A B C D Point
Point Pleasant
North
Turk and the cay for both whale-watchers Northwest
Point
Beach
and divers to relish this experience.
The cay is 8 miles southwest of Grand 1 16
Turk, has only 12 cars and plenty of sandy Fort Pleasant
Turks Island Lighthouse
beaches. Donkeys and wild cattle outnumber
Grey Salina
human inhabitants, as do iguanas. Simple Passage 3
island living that appeals to so many, and is
often unattainable, can be found here. 21º15'N 8
10 17
Airfield Whale Island
Divers have known about this cay and the Public Dock Whale House
Bay
wonderful diving here for decades, hence 14 Long Bay
the comparatively great range of lodgings, 11 Point
bars and eateries that center around the 2
5 Taylor
main settlement, historic Balfour Town. Hill
Long Bay
This attractive place has some lovely old Town Salinas
Dunscom Point
plantation two-story homes with wide ve- 6
2
North
Creek
randas and jalousied windows. Many of 7
these have been renovated and offer lodg- 12
Mouchoir
ings with character, class and comfort. 18
Passage
19
Big Sand Cay, 8 miles south of Salt Cay, is 15
1 4
a haven for diminishing numbers of green Balfour
and hawksbill turtles, which come ashore to 3 13 Town SLEEPING
21º14'N Mount Pleasant Guesthouse...............8 B2
lay their eggs in the sand. Pirate's Hideaway Guesthouse...........9 A3
The modern history of the archipelago 9 South INFORMATION
Purple Conch Cottage......................10
Salt Cay Sunset House......................11
B2
A2
began here in the 17th century, when Ber- Creek
Government Medical Clinic..............(see 1) Sandy Toes Vacation Home..............12 B3
mudian salt traders settled and a salt industry Netty's Grocery Store.......................(see 1) Sunset Reef Villas.............................13 A3
Police..................................................1 B3 Tradewinds Lodge............................14 B2
began. They made ponds linked to the sea by Post Office.......................................(see 1) Vistas of Salt Cay.............................15 A3
canals and sluice gates and built windmills SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Windmills Plantation.........................16 C1
to control water flow. Salt Cay was once the District Commissioner’s Office............2 A2 EATING
world’s largest producer of salt. In the indus- Fort Pleasant.......................................3 B1
Governor’s House...............................4 B3
Blue Mermaid Café........................(see 11)
Island Thyme Bistro...........................17 B2
try’s heyday, over 100 vessels a year departed 4 St John’s Anglican Church..................5 A2 Pat's Groceries.................................(see 1)
the isle for the US, bulging with ‘white gold.’ Salt Cay Divers.................................(see 8)
Salt Cay Tours..................................(see 9)
Pat's Place........................................18 B3
Nominations by Unesco to make this cay a Kelly's Folly Treasury Building...............................6 A2 DRINKING
World Heritage site as ‘a time capsule from South
White House......................................7 A2 One Down, One To Go....................19 B3
the days when Salt was King’ are not surpris- Point 71º13'W 71º12'W 71º11'W
ing. It could be a museum of industrial ar-
cheology, with its decrepit windmills, sheds, Town, a salt merchant’s stately manor with rolling coral garden with hawksbill turtles,
and salinas, now smelly and scummed with a stepped (Bermudian) stone roof and morays, and parrotfish; and HMS Endymion
wind-whipped froth. chimney. It is still owned by the Harriott (Map p259), a never-salvaged, 18th-century
family, who built the house in 1835 from British warship bristling with cannon and
Information stone brought here as ballast. Next door is massive anchors in a coral canyon just 25ft
Salt Cay has a post office (%649-946-6985; the old wooden Treasury Building, where salt down. The wreck is south of Big Sand Cay
h8am-12:30pm & 2-4pm Mon-Thu, 8am-3:30pm Fri). workers once collected their pay. Nearby are and the sea mound here has swim-throughs.
There’s a small clinic (%649-946-6970) with St John’s Anglican Church and the District Com- There’s also the Northwest Wall, plunging
two nurses; a doctor visits once every two
weeks. You can contact the police (%649-
missioner’s Office, housing the old jail.
Rusting 18th-century cannon sit atop Fort
from 50ft to 120ft and covered with corals,
and Point Pleasant, a shallow cove crowded
TURKS ISLANDS
946-6929). Pleasant, about 400yd north of Mt Pleasant with coral heads topped with elkhorn.
The Fun in the Sun Festival is held in Balfour Guest House. Salt Cay Divers (%649-946-6906; www.saltcaydiv
Town in Salt Cay each June. ers.tc) is a well-established outfit with two
Activities boats. It offers two-tank dives for $80 and
Sights Choice dive sites include Wanda Lust, a number of excellent dive/stay packages.
The most noteworthy attraction is the splen- known for its plankton-rich waters that at- From January to March the whales are in
didly preserved White House in north Balfour tract whales and eagle rays; Kelly’s Folly, a town, and seven-night packages include
 268 S A LT C AY • • S l e e p i n g & E a t i n g www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com S A LT C AY • • G e t t i n g T h e re & A r o u n d 269

Hansel-and-Gretel-style B&B abounds in twist is popular with many. Picnics can also
MARINE GODS stained glass, Haitian art, and murals on a be made with advance notice.
Salt Cay is perhaps the best spot in the Caribbean and West Indian regions to see humpback pirate theme. Hardwood floors, nautical- Pat’s Place (mains $6-17; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner)
whales during the winter months. Scores of these gentle creatures arrive to breed in the warm themed bathrooms (plus shell-lined tubs), Serves great island dishes, especially tasty
waters of the Silver and Mouchoir Banks, east and south of Salt Cay. and tropical decor add to the character of steamed fish.
Although a sheltered environment is important for pregnant whales, baby whales have a very thin these comfy rooms. A bar and restaurant Groceries can be bought at Netty’s Grocery
blubber layer; the warmer water temperatures here may be needed for their survival. You will see have an outdoor deck which overlooks the Store and at Pat’s Groceries. Knock at their
each mother with only one newborn, as whales give birth to only one baby at a time. sea, and is lit at night with flaming torches. houses if the stores are closed.
A humpback whale may eat up to a ton of food a day, so it would also be safe to presume Salt Cay Sunset House & Blue Mermaid Cafe
that this location supports the humpback’s vast appetite for krill! It is believed that a humpback (%/fax 649-946-6942; Balfour Town; r $140; na) Entertainment
can probably stay underwater for as long as 35 minutes, although the average time may only This lovingly-restored plantation house sits Locals gather to play dominoes at the One
be 10 to 15 minutes in the West Indies. This means that you should definitely be able to enjoy on the beach. Down, One to Go bar. It has a large-screen
some privileged sights of these graceful and gentle colossi. Some great rentals also exist; try the cute TV, a pool table, darts, a pool and dancing.
You may also be honored enough to hear the whales singing. Male humpbacks are famous whitewashed old stone Purple Conch Cottage The bars at the Mount Pleasant Guest House
for their songs, a sound that no-one who hears it will ever forget. The songs are probably part of (www.saltcay.org; $100), which looks directly out and Pirate’s Hideaway Guesthouse are alter-
the whales’ mating rituals and are used in the declaration of territories. Initially scientists thought over the beach, or Sandy Toes Vacation Home native venues, and a tad more sophisticated.
that these 20-minute-long songs were repeated continually, rather like a bird’s song. Yet upon (%649-946-6906; www.saltcay.org; apt per week $1200;
further research it was discovered that their evocative hymns change every year. na), a fresh and comfortable house that Getting There & Around
Dive and charter outfits in Cockburn Town and Salt Cay both organize whale-watching and contains two tasteful and bright apartments. AIR
diving trips (for Cockburn Town, see p263 and for Salt Cay, see p267). Facilities include a golf cart. Vistas of Salt Cay Please refer to the Transportation chapter
(%649-946-6906; www.saltcay.org; r per week $1000- (p292) for information on international
1200; na) is close to the beach, and offers flights to/from the Turks Islands.
whale watching and five days’ diving from window or two. Note that if air-conditioning use of bicycles or a golf-cart. For flights between the Turks and Caicos
$1090 – excellent value. is provided and you use it, you will nor- Islands, including Salt Cay, please refer to
Oasis Divers (Map p262; %649-946-1128; www mally be charged for the electricity. TOP END the Getting There & Away section in Cock-
.oasisdivers.com; Duke St) offers whale-watching Most lodgings have restaurants and bars Windmills Plantation (%649-946-6962; www.saltcay burn Town (p265).
trips ($50) as well as an HMS Endymion that are also open to nonguests. site.com; d with/without meals $495/375;nas ) One of the island’s two taxis will inevita-
wreck trip ($75) from Grand Turk. Diving This small deluxe resort in a stunning bly show up after the driver sees the plane
on these excursions costs extra; a prepaid MIDRANGE beachside location about 1½ miles north- land at the Salt Cay Airfield.
two-tank dive is $70. Gear rental is also Mount Pleasant Guest House (%649-946-6927; east of Balfour Town is a replica of an 18th-
possible from these friendly guys. mtpleasantinfo@yahoo.com; Balfour Town; r $105; n century colonial plantation. Eight classic BICYCLE
Salt Cay Charters (%649-231-6663; piratequeen3@ a) This timber-beamed, unpretentious gem and elegant suites have hand-carved four- Many lodgings provide free bicycles for
hotmail.com) offers whale-watching boat trips dates back to 1830, when it was a salt mer- poster beds, lanterns and terra-cotta–tiled guests. You can rent a bicycle from Pirate’s
that start around $75. It also offers a range chant’s house. The seven air-conditioned floors. Each ground-floor room also has a Hideaway Guesthouse on Salt Cay for
of motor water sports and boats for charter rooms all have wooden floors, lively trop- private outdoor courtyard and plunge pool. around $10 per day and from Sunset Reef
(prices upon application). ical pastel decor, and heaps of charm. Ham- It has its own restaurant and bar (the own- Villas for $40 per week.
Salt Cay Tours (%649-946-6904; Pirate’s Hideaway mocks are slung between shade trees in the ers of this resort pride themselves on their
Guesthouse, Victoria St, Salt Cay) will take you on grounds. An excellent restaurant and bar Caribbean cuisine), and diving packages are BOAT
a tour of the island’s historical landmarks also keeps you very well fed and watered (try available. Not one for children. A ferry runs biweekly from Grand Turk
and good bird-watching spots (see the use- the superb seafood, carrot cake and home- Sunset Reef Villas (%649-946-6901; www.sun to Salt Cay ($12 round-trip; 45 minutes).
ful website www.turksandcaicosbirdwatch made sherry trifle) and bicycles are provided setreef.com; Balfour Town; d per week $1300; na) Contact Salt Cay Charters (%649-231-6663; pirate
ing.com). It also rents out bicycles and kay- for guests. Dive packages are available. Pleasant and simple one- and two-bedroom queen3@hotmail.com). Whale-watching boat trips
aks. The rates vary and will be supplied Tradewinds Lodge (%649-946-6906; www.trade modern beachside villas come with all with this operator cost $75.
upon application. winds.tc; Victoria St, Balfour Town; r $145; na) This the mod-cons, including TV, video, CD, A government ferry runs from the South
modern and light beachside property of- stereo, washing machine and fully equipped Dock on Grand Turk Monday, Wednesday
Sleeping & Eating fers weekly packages. All rooms are bright, kitchen. An outdoor grill on a deck with and Friday afternoons ($12 round-trip).
There are also several great vacation cot- spotlessly clean and comfortably furnished. hammocks helps provide the island ambi- Call the harbormaster in Grand Turk (%649-
tages and houses to rent that range from They have well-fitted kitchens or kitchen- ence. You can rent a golf cart for $50 per 946-2325) for information.
TURKS ISLANDS

simple stone cottages to brand-new modern
villas. Check the Turks and Caicos websites,
www.tcimall.tc, www.turksandcaicostour
ism.com and www.saltcay.org for listings.
Refreshing breezes will help keep you
free of pesky mosquitoes, and lodgings
require little cooling other than an open
ettes, a screened patio and ocean views. Din-
ing is also available on an outdoor deck,
perfect for sunbathing and whale watching.
Bicycles and a barbecue are also available
for guests.
Pirate’s Hideaway Guesthouse (%649-946-6909;
www.saltcay.tc; Victoria St, Salt Cay; r $120; na) This
day, and a bicycle for $40 per week. Snorkel
gear is $10/50 per day/week.
Island Thyme Bistro (%649-946-6977; mains $10-
23;hlunch & dinner Thu-Tue) Either eat alfresco
in the sheltered Coconut Room, or indoors
where a bar serves some wicked cocktails.
Bahamian and American fare with a special
TURKS ISLANDS
GOLF CARTS
Everyone uses golf carts to traverse the island.
Many lodgings offer free carts, or they can be
hired from Pirate’s Hideaway Guesthouse on
Salt Cay from around $40 per day and from
Sunset Reef Villas for $50 per day.
 © Lonely Planet Publications
TURKS ISLANDS 270 www.lonelyplanet.com

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DIREC TORY 270 www.lonelyplanet.com D I R E C T O R Y • • A c c o m m o d a t i o n s 271

DIREC TORY
Directory PRACTICALITIES
Newspapers
! Daily New Providence newspapers include the morning’s Nassau Guardian and the after-
children sharing rooms can sometimes be
noon’s Tribune as well as the Bahama Journal. The tabloids Punch and Confidential Source are
charged individually). Charges may also be
published weekly. Grand Bahama has the daily Freeport News and twice-monthly Freeport
CONTENTS added for credit-card payments.
Times. Abaconians read the weekly Abaconian and Abaco Journal.
Most hotels also have a price system tiered
Accommodations 270
into peak- and low-season rates. Low or off ! There are two newspapers in the Turks and Caicos: the biweekly Free Press and the weekly
Activities 272
season (summer) is usually mid-April to Turks and Caicos News.
Business Hours 276
mid-December; high or peak season (win-
Children 276
ter) is the remainder of the year, when hotel Magazines
Climate Charts 277
prices increase by 25% to 50% or more.
Customs 278 ! A number of free magazines on the Bahamas are published locally. Island Scene is the official
Now for the good news: the off-season
Dangers and Annoyances 278 magazine of the Bahamas; also look for Destination Bahamas and Getaway Magazine.
(or summer) encompasses many months
Disabled Travelers 279 ! The Turks and Caicos has the free Times of the Islands, Where, When, How: Turks & Caicos Islands,
of great weather, and during this time vir-
Embassies & Consulates 279 the monthly Discover Turks & Caicos and the evocatively named quarterly S3 Sand Sea Serenity.
tually all accommodation rates drop any-
Festivals & Events 279
where from 25% to 60%. During these times
Food & Drink 281
even the top-end hotels are usually looking Radio & TV
Gay & Lesbian Travelers 281
to fill their rooms and may be affordable. So
Holidays 281 ! The government-owned Bahamas Broadcasting Corporation operates TV Channel 13 (ZNS) and
although this region is pricey, it is possible radio stations ZNS-1, ZNS-2, ZNS-FM and ZNS-3. Commercial radio stations include Love 97FM,
Insurance 282
to find value-for-money lodgings and even More 94.9FM and Jamz 100FM. Most hotels also offer American cable TV.
Internet Access 282
some great bargains.
Legal Matters 282 ! The official Turks and Caicos government radio station is Radio Turks and Caicos (106FM) on
Even during peak times, many of the
Money 282 Grand Turk. There are several private stations. For contemporary light rock, try 92.5FM. You’ll
quieter accommodations offer some amaz-
Post 283 find country and western on 90.5FM, easy-listening music on 89.3FM, and classical music on
ing specials. Your best bet is to contact the
Telephone 283 89.9FM. WPRT at 88.7FM is a religious and public announcement channel, as is WIV at 96.7FM.
hotels directly by telephone and via their
Shopping 284 Multichannel satellite TV is received from the US and Canada. The islands have one private TV
websites. These discounts and special web-
Tourist Information 285 station.
site offers can save up to 30% on the book
Visas 285
price and many need to be booked online.
Women Travelers 286
Additionally, small guesthouses, hotels Video Systems
or units where Bahamians stay when they’re ! VHS is the standard, and tapes can be bought in photo supply shops but prices are signifi-
ACCOMMODATIONS on holiday are normally advertised in local cantly higher than you may be used to in North America or Europe.
With a fantastic range of cheerful little cot- newspapers or in grocery stores.
tages, welcoming inns, stylish condos, ex- Similarly, diving and fishing fans should
cellent hotels and all-inclusive resorts, the check out the very good-value diving and Electricity
Bahamian, Turks and Caicos Islands cater fishing packages on many islands. ! Hotels operate on 110v (60 cycles), as in the USA and Canada. Plug sockets are two- or three-
for most tastes, if not for all budgets! You Rental properties shared by at least four pin US standard.
may come across some very scary and often people can also bring the rates down a fair
unjustified high rates when checking out bit, and there are some really terrific self- Weights & Measures
accommodation, as many hotels of similar contained condos, apartments and villas in
price vary dramatically in ambience and which to stay, especially on the cays. ! The British Imperial and metric systems are both in use. Liquids are generally measured in
value. pints, quarts and gallons, and weight in grams, ounces and pounds.
Room taxes can be around 12% and, Rates
to add insult to injury, surcharges can The listings in the sleeping sections of this
hike up your bill by another 10% to 30%. guidebook come in three broad catego- $150 being the average). Upscale resorts will Accommodation Websites
These miscellaneous charges will be de- ries of ‘budget’, ‘midrange’ and ‘top end’. cost from $180 to $500 per night as a stand- Aside from the ones listed below, check out
scribed as an energy surcharge, a ‘resort We haven’t included either taxes or hotel ard, and above that, the stars are the limit. the Internet Resources section on p14 to
levy,’ or a per-diem fee for housekeep- surcharges in our listings, unless they are Prices in the guidebook refer to room find useful accommodation links.
ing service. The housekeeping service included in the rates, which we have indi- only, or European Plan (EP). Some hotels Abaco Real Estate Agency (www.abacobahamas.com)
charge is legal, but the energy tab is left cated. Rates for all budgets are generally for will quote rates as Continental Plan (CP; Bahama Houseboats (www.bahamahouseboats.com)
over from the oil crisis days of the mid- two people. In high season, decent budget room and breakfast), Modified American Island Dreams Rentals (www.islanddreamrentals.com)
’70s and is definitely illegitimate. Check rooms are around $65 to $80 a night, but a Plan (MAP; room plus breakfast and din- Prestigious Properties (www.prestigiousproperties.com)
whether the service charges and taxes are few bargains can be found. Midrange hotels ner) or American Plan (AP; room plus all- Provo.net (www.provo.net)
per room or per person (even couples and will usually cost $110 to $180 (with $120 to inclusive meals). Rent-a-Home International (www.rentavilla.com)
DIREC TORY 272 D I R E C T O R Y • • A c t i v i t i e s
Turks & Caicos Real Estate Association (www
.tcirealestate.com) Lists all the real-estate agencies,
most of which will arrange rental properties.
Turks & Caicos Realty (www.tcrealty.com)
VHR Worldwide (www.hideaways.com)
Abaco Bahamas Homepage (www.oii.net) Contains
Abaco boat rental and accommodation information.
Camping
The Bahamas does not encourage campers.
Camping on the beaches is illegal and there
are no official campsites, even in wilderness
areas. However, many land and sea parks
contain cays that are perfect for pitching
a tent. Do check which cays are the best
for camping with the park operators (see
Environment, p37) as some cays may be
out of bounds as they contain nesting or
breeding species. A few charter companies
and activity operators will rent out basic
camping equipment, but don’t count on
finding rental gear easily.
Guesthouses
These are the accommodations of choice for
Bahamians when traveling. Usually they’re
small, no-frills, family-run properties. Stand-
ards and prices vary enormously. Some are
exquisite, with a live-in owner who provides
breakfast and sometimes dinner onsite.
Some are self-contained apartments, while
others are indistinguishable from hotels
or motels. In New Providence the Nassau
Guardian and Tribune newspapers list guest-
houses under ‘Guesthouse’ and ‘Boarding
Accommodation’ headings in their classified-
ad sections. On other islands check both the
local newspapers and grocery stores.
Homestays & Home Exchanges
Try contacting the following organizations
to see if there are any suitable homestays.
You gain access to the database upon pay-
ing a fee.
Homestay Finder (www.homestayfinder.com)
World Homestays (www.worldhomestays.com)
Another option is to exchange homes with a
family in the Bahamas. These private organi-
zations have databases on available homes
around the world. Again, you gain access to
the database upon paying a fee.
HomeExchange.com (www.homeexchange.com)
Homelink International (www.homelink.org.uk)
Intervac (www.intervac-online.com)
www.lonelyplanet.com
Hotels
Bahamian hotels run the gamut, but it is un-
wise to rely solely on a hotel’s brochure or
promotional literature. The following associ-
ations do not represent all hoteliers and other
accommodation owners and tourism service
providers on the islands, but can help with
information on their members’ properties.
Bahamas Hotel Association (%242-322-8381; fax
242-326-5346; W Bay St, Nassau)
Turks & Caicos Hotel Association (%649-941-5787;
www.tcimall.tc/tcresorts; Ports of Call, Providence)
Rental Accommodations
The Bahamian, Turks and Caicos Islands and
their cays have great private cottages, apart-
ments, condos and houses available for rent.
These properties range from modest units
at $850 to lavish villas at $12,000 and more
per week. Affordable, charming one- or two-
bedroom cottages rent from $1,400 and three-
bedroom houses from $1,800 per week. Rates
can fall as much as 30% in summer (May to
November). Check the websites listed earlier
or the links to real-estate agencies from the
websites listed on p14. Also try the classified-
ad sections of Caribbean Travel & Life (www
.caribbeantravelmag.com) and Islands (www
.islands.com) magazines.
Many condos are attached to resort ho-
tels to which you have access. These self-
contained, fully furnished apartments are
normally timeshare properties with a fully
equipped kitchen (some have only a kitch-
enette), and some will also have their own
swimming pool, tennis court or boat jetty
or all three. Check for incidentals costs.
Resorts
All-inclusive resorts are cash-free, village
resorts or self-contained hotels; you pay a
set price and (theoretically) nothing more
once you set foot inside. Take care when
choosing a resort. Many properties have
jumped onto the ‘all-inclusive’ bandwagon
for marketing purposes. In reality you’ll
have to pay for booze and some extras, such
as scuba-diving. Check carefully for hidden
charges for water sports, laundry, and other
activities or services not included in the
price. Rates begin at about $230 per day.
ACTIVITIES
The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands
have a range of sports and special-interest
www.lonelyplanet.com
activities for those who get a bit restless
after lying around on a beach for an hour
or two. Anything to do with these glori-
ously warm and brilliantly colored seas is a
particular delight, and easy to arrange. The
island chapters have more specific informa-
tion, including details on sites of particular
interest for each activity and contact infor-
mation for local activity tour-operators.
Bicycling
Few people explore the islands by bicycle,
but the relative flatness of the islands would
seem to be ideal for biking. Many hotels and
concessions rent bicycles ($12 to $20 per
day). Some places have mountain bikes, but
most have heavy single-gear beach cruisers,
which are definitely not for touring.
Grand Bahama hosts the Tour de Free-
port 100-mile road race in spring.
Bird-Watching
The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands
are heaven for bird-watchers (see Environ-
ment p38). More than two dozen reserves
in the Bahamas protect more than 230 bird
species, including West Indian flamingos
and Bahama parrots.
The Bahamas National Trust (Map pp66-7;
%242-393-1317; fax 242-393-4978; Village Rd, Nassau;
h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) offers guided bird-watching
walks regularly and has information on the
wonderful species that visit or live on these
isles.
A list of all the Bahamian Wild Bird Re-
serves is obtainable from the Department of
Agriculture (%242-325-7413; fax 242-325-3960; Levy
Bldg, E Bay St, Nassau).
Also contact the Bahamas Ornothology Group
(%242-393-1317) for news on further bird-
watching activities.
In the Turks and Caicos, the Department
of Environment & Coastal Resources (Grand Turk
%649-946-2855; fax 649-946-1895; ccr@tciway.tc; Provi-
denciales %649-946-4017; fax 649-941-3063; South Caicos
%/fax 649-946-3306) administers 23 national
parks and nature reserves.
For information on the Ramsar wetlands
in North, Middle and East Caicos, contact
Turks & Caicos National Trust (TCNT;%649-941-5710;
tc.nattrust@tciway.tc; PO Box 540, Providenciales, Caicos).
Boating & Sailing
With more than 3000 islands and cays scat-
tered over 100,000 sq miles of ocean, the
D I R E C T O R Y • • A c t i v i t i e s 273
DIREC TORY
region is a boater’s dream. Indispensable
guidebooks are the 2004 Yachtsman’s Guide
to The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos, edited
by Tom Daly, and Explorer Chartbook: Far
Bahamas, Explorer Chartbook: Near Bahamas
and Explorer Chartbook: Exumas, written by
Monty and Sara Lewis. These give details on
cruising permits and customs regulations,
plus a list of designated ports of entry.
Favored areas in the Bahamas are the
protected waters of the Sea of Abaco (be-
tween Great Abaco and the Abaco Cays)
and Exuma Sound and Exuma Cays Land &
Sea Park. Both are good for beginning sail-
ors, as the waters are shallow and sheltered,
and land is always within sight.
The Turks and Caicos also offer excellent
boating and sailing opportunities.
BOAT CHARTERS
Experienced sailors and novices can charter
sailboats, yachts and cruisers by the day or
week. Most marinas offer boats with a skip-
per and crew, as well as ‘bareboat’ vessels on
which you’re your own skipper. You’ll need to
be a certified sailor to charter bareboat; usu-
ally you’ll have to demonstrate proficiency
before being able to sail away. All boats are
stocked with linens and other supplies.
Charters can be arranged at most major
hotels or by calling a local charter company.
Many individuals offer sportfishing, but will
happily take you exploring, diving and snor-
keling. They charge anything from $350 to
$500 per half-day, $600 to $1000 per day.
In the Turks and Caicos chartered trips
range from $400/$700 per half-day/full day
and cruisers from $500/$1050 per half/full
day for up to eight people.
Bareboat charters are usually by the week;
prices begin at $1200, depending on size.
Crewed charters often cost about double that.
Skippers can be hired for about $400 a day.
See Activities sections in the island chapters
for details on local charter companies.
Most resorts provide small sailboats called
Sunfish, either as part of the hotel package
rate or for an hourly rental fee. You also
can rent motorboats, from small fry such as
Boston Whalers to giant luxury cruisers with
price tags to match, from local marinas.
BOAT EXCURSIONS
Boat excursions for all sorts of activities
abound, whether your thing is fishing, sailing,
DIREC TORY 274 D I R E C T O R Y • • A c t i v i t i e s
kayaking, sightseeing or simply lazing on a
boat sipping rum punch while someone else
does all the hard work.
Fast-ferry trips from Nassau are a cheap
and fast way to get to a few of the Family
Islands, and a great day out. Tickets start
from $75 one way.
Day excursions are priced from about $85
to $180 depending upon your activities.
Caving
The islands are honeycombed with dozens
of limestone caverns, many only partially
explored and mapped. In some, Lucayan
Indian petroglyphs add to the allure. Many
caves are also roosts for harmless bats. Use
extreme caution if you’re exploring without
a guide.
Grand Bahama has the world’s longest
cave system in Lucayan National Park. Per-
mits are required to dive these caves, while
sightseeing adventure excursions are avail-
able. The Turks and Caicos also have plenty
of caves, notably Conch Bar Caves National
Park on Middle Caicos, a 15-mile-long sys-
tem full of stalactites and stalagmites. A few
tour operators offer day-long cave excur-
sions here. Refer to the islands’ Activities
sections for operators details.
Also see the Blue Holes boxed text on
p49 for a different type of caving.
Diving & Snorkeling
These are the region’s headline acts. The
range of sites means that both novice and
experienced divers and snorkelers can enjoy
these waters and their exotic occupants.
See the Activities sections in each island
chapter, plus the Diving chapter (p45), for
details on key dive and snorkel sites and
local operators.
It’s possible to walk off a beach on the
islands and be within yards of precious liv-
ing coral teeming with fish. There is a range
of operators that will take snorkelers out to
a variety of sites. You may be reminded by
the captains not to touch the coral. Don’t
take offence, as a mere tap with your fins
is enough to kill whole sections of the reef,
which then has the domino effect of wiping
out the area’s marine and fish life.
If you intend to do a lot of snorkeling or
diving, it is worth bringing your own mask,
snorkel and fins, otherwise it is $10 per day
to hire the equipment.
www.lonelyplanet.com
DIVING ORGANIZATIONS
The following organizations are good to
know:
Divers Alert Network (DAN; US %919-684-2948;
www.diversalertnetwork.org; Peter B Bennett Center, 6 W
Colony Place, Durham, NC 27705, USA) Offers divers’ health
insurance, covering evacuation and emergency treatment.
National Association of Underwater Instructors
(NAUI; US %813-628-6284; www.naui.org; 1232 Tech
Blvd, Tampa, FL 33619-2667, USA)
Professional Association of Diving Instructors
(PADI; US %949-858-7234; www.padi.com; 30151 Tomas
St, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688-2125, USA)
RECOMPRESSION CHAMBERS
There are two of these in the Bahamas.
Club Med Columbus Isle resort (%242-331-2000;
www.clubmed.com; San Salvador)
Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO; %242-
373-1244; www.unexso.com; Port Lucaya Marina,
Freeport, Grand Bahama)
In Turks and Caicos, there is a recompres-
sion chamber at Associated Medical Practices
Clinic (%649-946-4242; Leeward Hwy) on Provo.
Dolphin Encounters
There are several outfits across the Bahamas
that offer swimming with dolphins; details
are included in the islands’ Activities sec-
tions. Some high-profile international or-
ganizations point out the detrimental effects
that these encounters have on the mammals
and their lifespans. For more information
please refer to the boxed text on dolphins
in captivity (p81).
On North Bimini, operators can take you
out to meet wild dolphins.
The protected inshore waters of the Sea
of Abaco immediately southeast of Marsh
Harbour are also home to a resident popu-
lation of about 100 bottlenose dolphins.
Fishing
Very strict regulations are in place, and ma-
rine and sea parks are off-limits to all fishing
fans, so check with the relevant authorities.
These regions host major annual fishing
tournaments (often held from April to June),
from big-game contests for serious contend-
ers to laidback, family-oriented contests.
Check the tourism websites such as www.ba
hamas.com and www.turksandcaicostourism
.com for details. Also, see the Bamahas Bill-
fish Championship boxed text on p152.
www.lonelyplanet.com
SPORTFISHING
As fans of Ernest Hemingway realize, the
archipelago’s ocean waters are a pelagic
playpen for schools of marlin, dolphin fish,
wahoo and tuna. And reef or bottom fish-
ing for snapper or yellowtail is plentiful.
In the Bahamas, fishing is strictly regu-
lated. Visiting boaters must have a permit for
sportfishing ($20 per trip or $150 yearly for
up to six reels). Boats with more than six reels
are charged $10,000 yearly. No foreign vessels
may fish commercially. You can get a permit
at your port of entry or in advance from the
Department of Fisheries (%242-393-1014; PO Box
N-3028, E Bay St, Nassau), who can offer current
fishing regulations. The capture, possession
or molestation of coral, turtles and marine
mammals is forbidden, as is long-line, spear
and net fishing. Other restrictions exist.
The Turks and Caicos lie on a major route
for migrating Atlantic blue marlin, which
cross in massive numbers from June to Au-
gust. All the other game fish of the Bahamas
can be caught here, too. Provo has several
marinas where fishing boats can be char-
tered. Prices are similar to those in the Baha-
mas and a permit is required. No spearfishing
(including Hawaiian slings) or scuba gear is
allowed, nor may visiting vessels take conch
or lobster. Information on regulations can be
obtained from the Department of Environment &
Coastal Resources (Grand Turk %649-946-2855; fax 649-
946-1895; ccr@tciway.tc; Providenciales %649-946-4017; fax
649-941-3063; South Caicos %/fax 649-946-3306)
BONEFISHING
The gin-clear waters of the sandbanks that
shelve the perimeters of most islands are
made for battles with the bonefish: pound
for pound, one of the world’s fighting cham-
pions. Related to the herring, it’s named for
its complex skeleton, and makes for bony
eating. Many lodges are devoted to bonefish-
ing and there are local bonefishing guides on
all islands. Bait and tackle are sold and rods
rented at many fishing lodges.
The Bahamas gets the fanfare for bone-
fishing, but the Turks and Caicos give it a
run for its money. There are 2000 sq miles
of flats between Grand Turk and Provo!
CHARTER & GUIDE RATES
Dozens of commercial operators offer sport-
fishing charters, and will charge from $350 to
$500 per half-day, $600 to $1000 per day (in
D I R E C T O R Y • • A c t i v i t i e s 275
DIREC TORY
the Turks and Caicos chartered trips range
from $400/$700 per half-day/full day) with
bait and tackle provided. You usually take
your own food and drinks. Most charter
boats require a 50% deposit (if you cancel,
you should do so at least 24 hours before de-
parture to avoid losing your deposit). Some
operators keep half the catch. Discuss terms
with the skipper before setting out.
FISHING TOURS
Several companies offer fishing tours to the
Bahamas. Aside from those in the island
chapters, try the following:
Angler Adventure (US %813-754-3737; www.anglers
adventures.com; PO Box 872, Old Lyme, CT 06371, USA)
Fishing International (US %800-950-4242; www
.fishinginternational.com; 1825 Fourth St, Santa Rosa,
CA 95404, USA)
Frontiers International (UK %44-1285-741-341, US
%800-245-1950; www.frontiersinternational.net; UK
Tithe Barn, Barnsley Park, Barnsley, Cirencester GL7 5EG,
UK; US PO Box 959, Wexford, PA 15090-0595, USA)
Hiking
A few wildlife reserves have tracks, while
several islands have tracks originally cut by
lumber companies.
Always carry plenty of water and insect
repellent, especially in summer, plus a small
first-aid kit when hiking in remote places.
Rarely will you be far from a settlement. The
limestone terrain is too treacherous to per-
mit you to walk off the track safely, as thick
vegetation hides sinkholes and crevasses. Be
especially wary of clifftops, which are often
undercut and can give way easily.
A few tour operators offer a mix of kayak-
ing, snorkeling and hiking tours in Grand Ba-
hama’s Lucayan National Park (p118). In the
Abacos, Abaco Outback (p151) has guided
hiking in Abaco National Park, and Earth
Village (p83) has walking tours of the New
Providence’s central coppice forest. See those
island chapters for more details.
There are hunters in Great Abaco’s and
Andros’ backcountry seeking wild boar. Be-
ware! Consider hiring a hunter as a guide.
Cat Island has some of the best hiking.
The Fernandez Bay Village resort (p210) is
a good starting point; the owners can pro-
vide maps and even a guide, if required.
On Great Inagua, trails lead into Bahamas
National Trust Park (p237), a semi-arid, rug-
ged landscape with fabulous bird-watching.
DIREC TORY 276 D I R E C T O R Y • • B u s i n e s s H o u r s www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com D I R E C T O R Y • • C l i m a t e C h a r t s 277

DIREC TORY
In the Turks and Caicos, the Middle Cai- The Turks and Caicos islands are vir- and activities on offer and actually do enjoy ELEUTHERA 5m (15ft)
Average
Max/Min

cos Reserve & Trail System (p255) has 10 gin territory for surfers but superbly suited having children around. °C Temp °F in Rainfall mm

miles of trails along the north coast. On to windsurfing. On Provo, Grace Bay is a Most hotels also offer free accommoda- 40 104 12 300

Provo you can follow dirt tracks along the fabulous location for windsurfing, with the tions or greatly reduced rates for children
east and west shores to Northwest Point consistent trade winds behind you. staying in their parents’ rooms (a child is 30 86 8 200

Marine National Park (p245). On Grand Turk you may see windsurfers usually defined as being 12 years or younger,
whizzing along the waters of North Creek. but some classify those 16 or younger as 20 68 4 100

Kayaking children). Rental villas and apartments are

Miles and miles of creeks and flats provide BUSINESS HOURS also good options for families. 10 50 0 0
wonderful entrances to the redolent world Bahamas It’s a good idea to prearrange necessities J F MAM J J A S O N D J F MAM J J A S O N D

of the mangroves and wetlands of Grand In Nassau and on Grand Bahama some banks such as cribs, babysitters and baby food.
Bahama and the Family Islands. close at 2pm and reopen from 3pm to 5pm Stores sell formula and disposable diapers, FREEPORT 11m (36ft)
Average
Max/Min
Many hotels and resorts rent kayaks or on Friday, when they can be very busy. In the but there’s not a huge range to choose from, °C Temp °F in Rainfall mm
provide free use for guests. And several tour Family Islands, bank hours vary widely. Usu- and the prices are high. These problems are 40 104 12 300

operators are now introducing kayaking as ally local banks are open only one or two days exacerbated in the Family Islands, Caicos
an organized activity. a week for two or three hours. A few local Islands and less populated cays. 30 86 8 200

Guided excursions are offered in the Cai-
cos, Abacos and Grand Bahama. See the is-
land chapters for contact information. The
Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park (p204) is a
particularly good destination for kayaking.
banks open 9am to noon on Saturday. Many of the car-rental agencies can sup-
Few businesses and stores open on Sunday, ply safety seats, but you should book these 20 68 4 100
outside of the tourist centers. In the Family ahead.
Islands many stores and businesses will close Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%242-322-7500; 50 0
10 0
for lunch during the week. Most restaurants www.bahamas.com) has a very popular and well- J F MAM J J A S O N D J F MAM J J A S O N D

Water Sports, Surfing & Windsurfing
Most resort hotels either include water sports
in their rates or offer them as extras. On offer
are all kinds of beach and water sport, such
as parasailing, waterskiing, and windsurfing.
Typical rates are as follows: sailboards are
$20 per hour; jet skiing $50 for 30 minutes;
for a 15-minute banana boat ride $30 per
and cafés in the tourist centers open seven organized program, Children-to-Children,
days a week. The following hours should be which links visiting children with local kids. MAYAGUANA 0.3m (11ft)
Average
Max/Min
regarded as a general guide. The program is in operation on many of the °C Temp °F in Rainfall mm
Banks (h9am-3pm Mon-Thu, 9am-5pm Fri) Bahamian islands and encourages the chil- 40 104 12 300
Government offices (h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) dren to participate in activities together. The
Private businesses (h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) aim is for children to gain an understanding 30 86 8 200
Shops (hFri, 9-10am-5pm Sat) about each other’s lives; a fabulous idea.
Post offices (h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) Bahamian kids play basketball with a pas-
Restaurants (hbreakfast 6am-9am; lunch noon-2pm, sion. The islands’ patron saint is Mychal 20 68 4 100

person; parasailing is $70 per hour; windsurf- dinner 6-9pm) Thompson, a Los Angeles Lakers player from
ing is $25 per hour; sailing is $90 per day and Tourist information (h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) Harbour Island; the first Bahamian to make 10
J F MAM J J A S O N D
50 0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
0

kayaks rent for $15 per hour. it to the NBA. Most towns have a small court
For surfers seeking the ultimate wave, Turks & Caicos Islands with makeshift stands for fellow fans.
look elsewhere. There are a few spots on Government offices (h9am-4pm Mon-Thu, 9am- Travel with Children, by Cathy Lanigan NASSAU 7m (23ft)
Average
Max/Min

Temp Rainfall
the Bahamas’ east coasts, however, where 3pm Fri) and Lonely Planet co-founder Maureen °C
40
°F
104
in mm
12 300
surfers can find decent Atlantic waves, no- Private offices and businesses (h8:30am-5pm Wheeler, gives you the lowdown on pre-
tably Surfer’s Beach on Eleuthera and, most Mon-Fri) paring for family travel, as well as basic
importantly, Garbanzo Reef off Elbow Cay Banks (h9am-3pm Mon-Thu, 9am-5pm Fri) health advice. 30 86 8 200

(Abacos). Winter months are best. Post Offices (9am-4pm) For encouragement, you might also check
Virtually the entire east side of the chain out Nancy Jeffrey’s Bahamas – Out Island 20 68 4 100

is fringed by an offshore barrier reef onto CHILDREN Odyssey, her tale of traveling through the
which the waves break, making surfing dan- These islands chase the family traveler ag- islands with two teenage sons and an infant. 10
J F MAM J J A S O N D
50 0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
0

gerous far out. The trade winds, however,
continue to blow inside the barrier reef, so the
placid stretches inside the reef are perfect for
gressively, and the larger hotels compete by A note of caution: you do not see moth-
having children’s facilities. Most hotels will ers nursing their babies or changing dia-
have a babysitter, while most larger resorts, pers in public, either in the Bahamas or the SAN SALVADOR 3m (10ft)
Average
Max/Min

windsurfing (in the absence of other coral). such as Atlantis, with its Discovery Channel Turks and Caicos Islands. You will prob- °C Temp °F in Rainfall mm

Resorts and concessionaires rent equip- Camp, cater to families and have a range of ably cause offence if you do either of these 40 104 12 300

ment on the main beaches of New Provi- activities and amenities for children. These inappropriately.
dence and Grand Bahama. Many hotels have features are covered in this guide’s listings. 30 86 8 200

free sailboard use for guests. The Romora The best kids’ clubs are found in resorts CLIMATE CHARTS
Bay Dive Shop (p178) on Harbour Island, on Nassau, New Providence, Freeport and In general, the Bahamas is balmy year- 20 68 4 100

Eleuthera, is a good bet for windsurfing. Lucaya in Grand Bahama, and Caicos in round, with cooling, near-constant trade
The Bahamas Windsurfing Champion- the Turks and Caicos Islands. Yet many winds blowing by day from the east. The so- 10 50 0 0
ship is held in January in Freeport. other hotels do have a wealth of sea sports called rainy season extends from late May J F MAM J J A S O N D J F MAM J J A S O N D
DIREC TORY 278 D I R E C T O R Y • • C u s t o m s
to November, and humidity in the northern
islands is relatively high year-round, but
declines from northwest to southeast across
the archipelago.
The Turks and Caicos’ climate is similar to
that of the southern Bahamas, though slightly
warmer and drier. The hottest months are
August to November and average humidity
is 35%.
Refer to When to Go on p13 for more
information.
CUSTOMS
Entering & Departing the Bahamas
All baggage is subject to a customs inspec-
tion, and Bahamian customs officials are
serious about their business. All visitors are
expected to fill a Baggage Declaration Form.
Individuals are allowed to import $10,000
cash, plus 50 cigars, 200 cigarettes or 1lb of
tobacco, plus 1 quart of spirits free of charge.
Purchases of $100 are also allowed for all ar-
riving passengers. You are allowed to bring
in a reasonable amount of personal belong-
ings free of charge. However, you may need
to show proof that laptop computers and
other expensive items are for personal use.
You should declare these upon arrival.
Excess items deemed to be imported
goods are subject to 35% duty (25% for
clothing). The tariff is as much as 300% for
certain items.
The following items are also restricted: fire-
arms, drugs (except prescription medicines),
flowers and plants, honey, fruits, coffee, and
meats and vegetables (unless canned).
For more information, call the Bahamas
Customs Department (%242-325-6550).
Entering & Departing the Turks &
Caicos
Visitors may each bring in duty free one
carton of cigarettes or 50 cigars, one bottle
of liquor or wine, and 50 grams of perfume.
The importation of all firearms is forbidden,
except upon written authorization from the
Commissioner of Police. Spear guns, drugs
and pornography are also illegal.
For further information, contact Turks
and Caicos Customs (Grand Turk %649-946-2801,
Provo%649-946-4241).
DANGERS AND ANNOYANCES
The most you will probably have to worry
about on the islands are mosquitoes and
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‘no see ums’ (sandflies), which contrary to
most expectations do not confine their
human-munching to dawn and dusk, and
in the case of sandflies, only to the beach.
Do not be shy about applying mosquito
repellent and covering up at night to pre-
vent the sandflies’ powerful bites. Invisible
crowds of these little pests will otherwise
leave you spottier than a leopard and itchier
than a dog’s bottom. The Bahamian chem-
ists sell a pink calamine-style lotion that
soothes the itching a bit.
Another threat in the Turks and Caicos,
and some of the Family Islands, may be the
roving bands of donkeys and horses. Dogs
and chickens also tend to wander off, so al-
though all these creatures are pretty wary of
vehicles, take care on the roads nonetheless.
Natural Hazards
Many of the reefs and beaches across the
region have dangerous undertows and cur-
rents, so do take care.
Public warnings will be issued if a hur-
ricane is due to come ashore. In the event
of a hurricane, seek shelter in the sturdiest
structure you can find. (For more on hur-
ricane seasons see p37).
The manchineel tree, which grows along
the Bahamian shoreline, produces small,
applelike green fruits. Don’t eat them –
they’re highly poisonous! The sap is also
irritating. Take care not to sit beneath the
tree, as even raindrops running off the
leaves onto your skin can cause blisters.
Human Hazards
Most Bahamians are extremely law-abiding
citizens and their tolerance of thieves and
criminals is extremely low. The Turks and
Caicos Islands are also relatively crime-free
and are therefore a joy to explore.
Nassau is a distinct exception, where
shootings and violent robberies are fre-
quent…with most murders and crimes
related to the drug trade. They occur over-
whelmingly in the low-income area south
of downtown and to a lesser degree in parts
of Freetown on Grand Bahama. Even the
mellow Family Islands have seen noticeable
increases in crime levels in recent years, no-
tably in Marsh Harbour, Abacos.
However, most crime against travelers is
petty opportunistic theft, so take sensible
precautions with your valuables.
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DISABLED TRAVELERS
Disabled travelers will need to plan their
vacation carefully, as few allowances have
been made for them in either the Bahamas
or the Turks and Caicos, although the Ba-
hamas is slightly better equipped.
New construction codes mandate ramps
and parking spots for disabled people at
shopping plazas and other select sites. Larger
hotels are beginning to introduce features
such as Braille instructions and chimes for
elevators, bathrooms with grab bars, and
ramps. However, only the most recent struc-
tures in Nassau and, to a lesser degree, Free-
port have adopted these features.
The tourism boards can provide a list of
hotels with wheelchair ramps, as can the
Bahamas Council for the Handicapped (%242-
322-4260; Commonwealth Blvd, Elizabeth Estates, Nassau)
and the Bahamas Association for the Physically
Disabled (%242-322-2393; fax 242-322-7984; Dolphin
Dr, Nassau, PO Box N-4252, Nassau). The latter can
also hire out a van and portable ramps for
those with wheelchairs.
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
There are no foreign embassies or consulates
in the Turks and Caicos. Contact the rel-
evant officials in Nassau, New Providence.
Bahamian Embassies & Consulates
Canada Ottawa (%613-232-1724; ottawa-
mission@bahighco.com; 50 O’Connor St, Suite 1313,
Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2, Canada)
China Hong Kong (%852-2147-0202; fax-852-2893-
3917; Suite 704-5 A Sino Plaza 7F, 255-257 Gloucester Rd,
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Republic of China)
UK London (%207-408-4488; fax 207-499-9937; 10
Chesterfield St, London W1X 8AH, England)
USA Washington DC (%202-319-2660; bahemb@aol.doc;
2220 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA);
Florida (%305-373-6295; fax 305-373-6312; Bahamas
Consulate General, 25 SE 2nd Ave, Suite 818, Miami, FL
33131, USA)
Turks & Caicos Embassies & Consulates
As a British crown colony, the Turks and
Caicos are represented via British embassies
and consulates abroad. There are also British
Consulate-Generals in many US cities.
Australia Canberra (%02-6270-6666; fax 02-6237-3236;
British High Commission, Commonwealth Ave, ACT 2600,
Australia)
Canada Montreal (%514-866-5863; montreal@
britainincanada.org; Consulate-General, 1000 De La
D I R E C T O R Y • • D i s a b l e d T r a v e l e r s 279
DIREC TORY
Gauchetiere St W, suite 4200, Montreal, Quebec H3b 4W5,
Canada)
France Paris (%144-51-3100; fax 144-51-4127; British
Embassy, 35, rue du Faubourg St Honoré, 75383 Paris
Cedex 08, France)
USA San Francisco (%415-617-1300; fax 415-434-2018;
British Consulate General, 1 Sansome St, Suite 850, San
Francisco, CA 94104, USA); Washington DC (%202-588-
7800; British Embassy, 3100 Massachusetts Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20008, USA)
Embassies & Consulates in the
Bahamas
Most countries are represented by honorary
consuls, individuals appointed to represent
the respective country.
Canada (Map pp66–7; %242-393-2123/4; fax 252-393-
1305; Shirley St Plaza, Nassau)
UK (Map p69; %242-325-7471; 242-323-3871;
www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/bahamas; Bitco Bldg,
E St, Nassau)
USA (Map p69; %242-322-1181/2/3; fax 242-328-7838;
www.usemb.state.gov/nassau; Mosmar Bldg, Queen St,
Nassau)
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Bahamas
No traditional African festivals were kept in
the Bahamas, but several folk festivals evolved
from the brief slave era, notably Junkanoo
(p34) and Emancipation Day. Nassau and
Freeport in Grand Bahama host a midyear
Junkanoo in June, while other islands also
host a summer ‘Goombay Festival.’
Most events run on a predictable sched-
ule. Many annual events occur at the cusp
of months, so the specific month may
vary from year to year. For more informa-
tion contact the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
(%242-322-7500; www.bahamas.com; Welcome Centre,
Festival Place, Prince George Wharf, Nassau; h9am-5pm
Mon-Sat, Sun if cruise-ship in port).
There’s a wealth of festivals in the Fam-
ily Islands involving bonefishing cham-
pionships, as well as cultural and sporting
celebrations. Information for these can be
found through the Bahamas Ministry of
Tourism websites and via visitor informa-
tion centers. The more famous regattas,
the Family Island Regatta in the Exumas
(April) and the Long Island Regatta (May),
are fabulous fun; locally made sailing craft
compete for prizes and partying abounds.
Most Family Island towns also celebrate
‘homecomings,’ the absolute heart of the
DIREC TORY 280 D I R E C T O R Y • • Fe s t i v a l s & E v e n t s
Bahamian social scene, when family mem-
bers return from Nassau, other islands or
the US. Usually these homecomings are
associated with national holidays so that
participants can stretch the festivities for
three to five days.
January
Polar Bear Swim A beach party culminates in some
crazy fun: people swimming in the sea among giant ice
cubes off Nassau.
New Year’s Day The Junkanoo parade on Bay Street in
Nassau is a great visual and musical spectacle.
Staniel Cay New Year’s Day Cruising Regatta Craft
from all over speed around Exumas cays.
Nassau Classic Car Festival A parade of polished
classics and proud owners through Nassau.
Supreme Court Opening This formal ceremony
opens the annual session of the Bahamas Supreme Court,
accompanied by the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band.
February
George Town Cruising Regatta More than 500 yachts
visit for a week of fun and partying at this fabulous sailing
regatta.
March
Bacardi Rum Cup Two days of sailing competitions and
notes of encouragement from the Royal Bahamas Police
Force Band in Nassau.
Freeport Rugby Club Annual Easter Rugby
Festival Grand Bahama hosts 15 of the world’s top rugby
teams, as players from as far afield as Argentina and Wales
gather to tussle for the grand prize.
Hope Town Heritage Day Abaco has a day of fun for
all the family.
April
Family Island Regatta This four-day extravaganza of
sailboat races and general merry-making is a highlight
of the Bahamian social calendar. It takes place in George
Town (Great Exuma), and thousands fly in for the lively
social scene, which includes beauty pageants, cooking
demonstrations, and plenty of drinking and dancing.
May
Bimini Festival A popular sportfishing tournament is the
highlight of this festival in mid-May, featuring barbecues,
cookouts and general merriment.
Bahamas Heritage Festival A cultural event with lots
of traditional music, food and fun.
Long Island Sailing Regatta More than 40 locally built
sailing sloops, representing each of the major Bahamian
islands, compete for prizes. Onshore rake ’n’ scrape bands,
sporting activities and Bahamian food keep it lively.
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June
Annual Eleuthera Pineapple Festival This annual
festival, held in early June in Gregory Town (Eleuthera),
combines four days of music, games and festivities with
cooking contests, ‘best pineapple’ contests, beauty
pageants and the highlight – the crowning of the young
Pineapple Queen.
Bahamas Boating Flings Each June through mid-
August, a lead boat guides a flotilla of yachts and other
craft from Fort Lauderdale into the Biminis.
Goombay Summer Festival Nassau hosts a midyear
Junkanoo parade, with round-the-clock festivities for
summertime visitors.
Rake ’n’ Scrape Music Festival A four-day annual
event held in June. It’s organized by Sidney Poitier’s
daughter, Pamela.
July
Independence Day A public holiday across the Bahamas
with parades, celebrations and festivities.
Beer Festival During full moon in this month, Exuma
consumes beer and pizza; what a great excuse!
August
Emancipation Day Held the first Monday in August to
commemorate the emancipation of slaves in 1834 across
the islands.
Cat Island Regatta Held on Emancipation Day, this is
the biggest event of the year on Cat Island, where sailboat
races, dominoes tournament and rake ’n’ scrape music are
all the rage.
Great Abaco Triathlon Athletes descend on Marsh
Harbour to test their mettle, with a children’s triathlon
and Sprintman race.
September
Bahamas Atlantis Superboat Challenge Life is never
so fast in Nassau as in late September during this annual
professional powerboat race.
October
Annual Grand Bahama Triathlon Watch and wonder
as superhumans compete in a 1½-mile swim, 15-mile bike
race and 3-mile run.
Great Bahamas Seafood Festival The Arawak Cay
Seafood Market in Nassau is the setting for this annual
four-day culinary and cultural extravaganza, featuring
concerts, Junkanoo and plenty of food.
International Cultural Weekend Bahamians
celebrate unity with a weekend of float parades, food fests,
arts and crafts displays and concerts in Nassau.
North Eleuthera Sailing Regatta This three-day
racing pageant features scores of locally built sloops
vying for the championship while onshore festivities
are roaring.
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November
Annual Grand Bahama Conchman Triathlon More
than 200 athletes gather in Freeport to compete in swim-
ming, bicycling and running, while others party.
Andros Community Awareness Week Androsians
celebrate their Bahamian dishes, music, Junkanoo, dance
and stories.
Bahamas Wahoo Tournament Hosted by the Bimini
Big Game Fishing Club, this game is for fishing fans.
All Abaco Sailing Regatta Boats and Bahamian fun on
the water and land.
December
Christmas Concert Under the Stars Green Turtle
Cay (Abacos) has a grand open-air concert of traditional
Christmas music and performances.
Annual Christmas Day Parade Bimini hosts a 5am
parade with music and festivities.
Plymouth Historical Weekend Residents of Green
Turtle Cay celebrate their Loyalist heritage with musical
concerts, theater, art exhibit and barbecues.
Junkanoo The national street party of the year starts in
the early hours of Boxing Day across the isles; don’t miss
the parades and partying!
Turks & Caicos
These islands do not miss out on festivities,
with many local events taking place. Cultural
and musical events occur in May, August,
September and November including the Rip-
shaw Music Festival, when Turks and Caicos
rake ’n’ scrape musicians gather in Grand
Turk to outrake and scrape each other with
much exuberance and entertainment.
For more information contact Turks and
Caicos Tourism (%649-946-4970; www.turksandcai
costourism.com; Stubbs Diamond Plaza, Providenciales).
May
Regatta on South Caicos The oldest and most playful
festival held on the islands.
Culture Night Held on Provo to make up for all the
regatta’s partying; well you have to pay your dues!
June
Conch Carnival on Grand Turk Conch-fritter eating
contests, dancing, island music and the Grand Turk Iron
Divemaster competition, finished off with beach bonfires.
Fun in the Sun Festival Held in Salt Cay.
July
Provo Day ‘Summer Festival’ Miss Turks and Caicos is
crowned in Provo amid much chatter and hollering, along-
side regattas, parades and partying. These lively events are
spread over a week around Emancipation Day.
D I R E C T O R Y • • F o o d & D r i n k 281
DIREC TORY
Turks & Caicos International Billfish
Tournament Incorporates the Invitational Billfish
Tournament. One for those who get excited by discussing
the intricacies of bait.
Festarama Festival North Caicos has fun; this annual
regatta includes beach parties.
August
Ripsaw Music Festival on Grand Turk Rake ’n’ scrape
musicians have noisy fun.
Cactus Fest A week-long carnival on Grand Turk with
reggae music and general festivities.
September
Cultural Week Island culture is relived and celebrated
throughout the islands.
Middle Caicos Expo Held every year, with a bit of
everything.
October
North Caicos Extravaganza These festivities feature a
Junkanoo rush.
December
Marathon A run that tests the physical mettle of all
competitors on Grand Turk.
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Many of the
islands enjoy this event.
FOOD & DRINK
For a full explanation of local cuisine and
drinks, please refer to the Food and Drink
chapter (p55). Listings are categorized into
‘budget’ (anything up to $10), ‘midrange’
(mains averaging $12 to $23) and ‘top end’
(mains around and over $23).
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELERS
Gay travelers need to be discreet in either
Bahamas or the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Most Bahamian gays and lesbians are still
in the closet, and the nation has draconian
laws against homosexual activity, which
is punishable by prison terms. Laws are
strictly enforced; sadly any public expres-
sions of affection between gays may well
bring trouble.
Please refer to the boxed text on p62
as this information, both social and legal,
basically applies across the whole region.
HOLIDAYS
You may also want to check out the ‘When
to Go’ section on p13 when planning your
trip.
DIREC TORY 282 D I R E C T O R Y • • I n s u r a n c e
Bahamas
Bahamian national holidays that fall on Sat-
urday or Sunday are usually observed on
the following Monday.
New Year’s Day January 1
Good Friday Friday before Easter
Easter Monday Monday after Easter
Whit Monday Seven weeks after Easter
Labour Day First Friday in June
Independence Day July 10
Emancipation Day First Monday in August
Discovery Day October 12
Christmas Day December 25
Boxing Day December 26
Turks & Caicos
The following national holidays are recog-
nized in this region.
New Year’s Day January 1
Commonwealth Day March 13
Good Friday Friday before Easter
Easter Monday Monday after Easter
National Heroes’ Day May 29
Her Majesty the Queen’s Official Birthday June 14
(or nearest weekday)
Emancipation Day August 1
National Youth Day September 26
Columbus Day October 13
International Human Rights Day October 24
Christmas Day December 25
Boxing Day December 26
INSURANCE
A travel insurance policy to cover theft, loss
and medical problems is worth organizing
for your trip. There is a wide variety of
policies available, so check the small print.
Some policies specifically exclude ‘danger-
ous activities’ (eg motorcycling, rock climb-
ing, canoeing, scuba-diving and even hiking).
If you’re planning on doing any of those ac-
tivities, be sure to hunt down the right policy
to cover yourself.
You may prefer a policy that pays doctors
or hospitals directly rather than requiring
you to pay on the spot and claim later. If
you have to claim later make sure you keep
all documentation. Some policies ask you
to call back (reverse charges) to a center in
your home country where an immediate
assessment of your problem is made.
Check that the policy covers ambulances
or an emergency flight home.
For health insurance information see
p296; for car insurance see p294.
www.lonelyplanet.com
INTERNET ACCESS
A few of the midrange and most of the top-
end accommodations in the Bahamas and
Turks and Caicos Islands have Internet con-
nections in the guest rooms. Some hotels
also offer the use or ‘hire’ of a computer.
Internet connections will accept the stan-
dard laptop jacks, while plugs accept the
standard USA/Canadian two or three-pin
plugs. You will require a local ISP provider’s
dial-up number however, which can be ar-
ranged through your home ISP operator.
If you do not have a laptop, you will not
be completely bereft. Internet cafés exist
in most tourist centers, and in some of the
larger towns in both the Bahamas and the
Turks and Caicos. The quality of connec-
tions is normally pretty good across the
board, but expect to pay from $10 for 15
minutes.
For a list of useful websites please refer
to p14.
LEGAL MATTERS
Marijuana (ganja) and cocaine are preva-
lent in the Bahamas and in the Turks and
Caicos, which are used as a transshipment
point for drug traffic into North America
and Europe. At some stage, you may be ap-
proached by hustlers selling drugs.
Possession and use of drugs and the ‘fa-
cilitation of drug trafficking’ in these islands
are strictly illegal and penalties are severe.
The islands are swarming with US Drug
Enforcement agents, and purchasing drugs
is a risky business. Foreigners do not receive
special consideration if caught and Baha-
mian prisons are notoriously nasty places.
MONEY
The Bahamian dollar is linked one-to-one
with the US dollar, so you can use US cur-
rency everywhere. Note the only bank per-
mitted to exchange amounts of more than
BS$70 is the Central Bank of the Bahamas on
Market St in Nassau. It’s a good idea to spend
all your Bahamian dollars before you leave.
Major commercial banks maintain branches
throughout the islands, although in the Fam-
ily Islands they are thin on the ground. Most
hotels and car-rental companies will take
credit cards on the Family Islands, but do
have some ready cash just in case.
The Turks and Caicos are unique: a
British-dependent territory with the US dol-
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lar as its official currency. The treasury also
issues a Turks and Caicos crown and quar-
ter. There are no currency restrictions on the
amount of money that visitors can bring in.
ATMs
Automated teller machine (ATM) cards are a
good way to obtain incidental cash. There are
ATMs in the leading tourist centers and at
many (but not all) banks around the islands.
Most machines accept Visa, MasterCard and
American Express via international networks
such as Cirrus and Visa/PLUS.
Credit Cards
Major credit cards are widely accepted
throughout the Bahamas, Provo and Grand
Turk as well as the bigger hotels on the Turks
and Caicos islands. Credit cards are not
widely accepted for general transactions in
the more remote Family Islands or Turks
and Caicos Islands. Elsewhere you may
need to operate on a cash-only basis. You
can use your credit card to get cash ad-
vances at most commercial banks. Com-
panies that accept credit cards may add an
additional charge of up to 5%.
Foreign currency can be changed at
banks in Provo and Grand Turk, which can
also issue credit-card advances and operate
ATMs.
Traveler’s Checks
These are widely accepted throughout the
Bahamas and Turks and Caicos except
on more remote Family Islands, although
some hotels, restaurants and exchange bur-
eaus charge a hefty fee for cashing travel-
er’s checks. They are accepted in the Caicos
and Grand Turk but you may be charged a
transaction fee of 5%.
To report lost American Express travel-
er’s checks in the Bahamas, contact Destina-
tions (%242-322-2931; 303 Shirley St, Nassau).
POST
Mail from the islands is slow. Airmail to
North America usually takes about 10 days.
Allow about four weeks for mail to Europe,
Australia and New Zealand.
Postcards to the UK, US, or Canada cost
$0.55. Airmail letters cost $0.65 per half-
ounce to the US and Canada; $0.70 to the
UK and Europe; and $0.90 to Africa, Asia,
or Australasia.
D I R E C T O R Y • • P o s t 283
DIREC TORY
Express mail services are listed in the
Yellow Pages. Note that 24-hour service is
not usually guaranteed from the Family or
Turks and outlying Caicos Islands, as the
express-mail services tend to rely on air-
charter services.
You can have mail addressed to you
‘Poste Restante’ care of ‘The General Post
Office,’ East Hill St, Nassau, The Bahamas.
Mail should be marked ‘To be collected
from the General Delivery desk.’ All cor-
respondence is retained for three weeks.
TELEPHONE
Hotel telephone rates are expensive across
the region and should be avoided when
possible. Many hotels also charge for an
unanswered call after the receiving phone
has rung five times.
Most US toll-free numbers can’t be ac-
cessed from the Bahamas or Turks and Cai-
cos. Usually you must dial %1-880, plus
the last seven digits of the number.
Bahamas
The government-owned Bahamas Telecom-
munications Corporation (%242-302-7000; John F
Kennedy Dr, Nassau), or BaTelCo, has an office on
most Bahamian islands. Even the smallest
settlement usually has at least one public
phone.
The Bahamian country code is %242.
You need to dial this when making inter-
island calls. To call the Bahamas from the
US and Canada, dial %1-242. From else-
where, dial your country’s international ac-
cess code + %242 + the local number.
MOBILE PHONES
You can travel with your own cellular
phone in the Bahamas, but you may be
charged a customs fee upon entry (which is
refunded when you leave). Your phone will
not function on BaTelCo’s cellular system
unless you rent temporary use of a ‘roam-
ing’ cellular line.
DOMESTIC CALLS
Local calls are free of charge, although ho-
tels will charge you between $0.75 to $1
per call.
Current Time & Temperature %917
Directory Assistance %916
Interisland calls %1-242 followed by the seven-digit
local number
DIREC TORY 284 D I R E C T O R Y • • S h o p p i n g
International Operator Assistance %0
Weather by Phone %915
INTERNATIONAL CALLS
Many Bahamian phone booths and all
BaTelCo offices permit direct dial to over-
seas numbers. It is far cheaper to call di-
rect from a phone booth than to call from
your hotel via operator-assisted calls. As-
sisted calls to the USA cost around $1.80
per three-minute minimum, then $0.90
per minute. Calls to Canada cost around
$1.30, then $1.30 per minute, to Europe it
costs $2.90, then $2.15 per minute while
calls to Australia and New Zealand are just
frightening.
Many national companies offer a service
for their subscribers, issuing international
charge cards and a code number. Costs for
calling home are then billed directly to your
home number. The following companies
provide such cards.
AT&T USA Direct (%1-800-225-5288)
British Telecom (%0-800-345-144)
Canada Direct (%1-800-389-0004)
MCI (%1-800-888-8000)
Sprint (%1-800-389-2111)
Telstra Australia (%1-800-038-000)
PHONECARDS
The majority of Bahamian public tele-
phones accept only prepaid phonecards
issued by BaTelCo (%242-302-7827), available
at stores and other accredited outlets near
phone card booths. The cards are sold in
denominations of $5, $10, $20 and $50.
Turks & Caicos Islands
Cable & Wireless (%1800-804-2994) operates a
digital network from its offices in Grand
Turk and Provo. Direct dial is standard.
Public phone booths are located through-
out the islands. Many booths require phone-
cards, issued in denominations of $5, $10,
and $15.
Hotels will charge you $1 per local call,
and some also charge for unanswered calls
after the receiving phone has rung five
times.
The Turks and Caicos country code is
%649. To call from North America, dial
%1-649 + the local number. From else-
where, dial your country’s international ac-
cess code + the local number For interisland
calls, dial the seven-digit local number.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Directory Assistance (%118)
Local operator (%0)
International Operator Assistance (%115)
MOBILE PHONES
American mobiles can work here, as long
as you register with Cable & Wireless call
roaming. Mobiles can also be rented from
around $10 per day.
PHONECARDS
Phonecards are issued in denominations of
$5, $10 and $15 and can be bought from
Cable & Wireless outlets and also shops
and delis.
You can also bill calls to your American
Express, Discover, Visa or MasterCard by
dialing %1-800-744-7777 on any touchtone
phone and giving the operator your card
details (there’s a one-minute minimum).
SHOPPING
Most prices are fixed, and bargaining is less
of a common practice than it is on Carib-
bean islands. Feel free to bargain, however,
at straw markets and crafts stalls.
Bahamas
DUTY-FREE GOODS
The two main resort towns, Nassau and
Freeport, and major settlements have a
wide choice of duty-free stores stocked with
perfumes, Cuban cigars, Italian leathers,
Colombian emeralds, plus china, crystal,
gold, silverware, linens, watches, and silks.
Many items can be bought at up to 30%
below US or European retail prices.
Paying by credit card is best, as this pro-
tects you if the item is defective (some card
companies provide buyers’ insurance).
Fine handmade cigars from Cuba are
all the rage in the Bahamas. Nassau and
Freeport boast well-stocked tobacco shops
dedicated to cigar lovers.
ARTS & CRAFTS
The Bahamas is well known for its busy
straw markets, as Bahamian weavers were
among the first in the Caribbean region
to take their skills to commercial heights.
You’ll find crafts stores virtually every-
where, selling baskets, bags, mats, dolls and
hats woven from the top fronds of coconut
palms. Much of the straw-work for sale in
Nassau is actually imported from Taiwan
www.lonelyplanet.com
and the Orient (even if it has ‘Made in Ba-
hamas’ stitched across the front in blazing
colors)!
Also look for Androsia batik, brightly
colored, handmade, authentically Baha-
mian material.
There are dozens of art galleries through-
out the chain. The Abacos are particularly
blessed, for here reside some of the islands’
most famous artists; originals by collector-
name artists can be had for a relative steal.
Turks & Caicos
The handcrafted plait-and-sew style of straw
weaving survives. Handmade rag rugs and
baskets are a great buy. The art scene is also
pretty lively on Provo; you can pick up some
splendid Haitian art for a few dollars as well
as a some excellent local art works. And you
can stock up on Cuban cigars.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Bahamas Visitor Centres
Abacos (%242-367-3067; Queen Elizabeth Dr, Marsh
Harbour; www.go-abacos.com)
Andros (%242-368-2286; Andros Town Airport, Fresh
Creek)
Eleuthera Governor’s Harbour (%242-332-2142; Queen’s
Hwy) Harbour Island (%242-333-2621; Bay St)
Exumas (%242-336-2430; Queen’s Hwy, George Town)
Freeport (%242-352-8044; www.grand-bahama.com;
International Bazaar)
Nassau Welcome Centre (%242-323-3182, 322 7680;
Prince George Dock) Airport Arrivals Terminal (%242-377-
6806; www.bahamas.com)
Bahamas Tourism Offices Abroad
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (%800-422-
4262; www.bahamas.com) has a central infor-
mation office in the US that sends out
literature. There are also regional offices
across the USA and in other countries that
can also help with information.
Also in the US is the Bahama Out Islands
Promotion Board (US %954-475-8315; www.boipb
.com; 1200 South Pine Island Rd, Suite 750, Plantation, FL
33324, USA).
Canada (%416-968-2999; bmotca@bahamas.com; 121
Bloor St E, No 1101, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3M5, Canada)
France (%01-45-26-62-62; info@bahamas-tourisme.fr;
113-115 rue du Cherche Midi, 75006 Paris, France)
Italy (%2-48194390-2; info@vertexic.com; Corso
Magenta 54, 20123 Milano, Italy)
UK (%44-20-7355-0800; info@bahamas.co.uk; Bahamas
House, 10 Chesterfield St, London W1J 5JL, UK)
D I R E C T O R Y • • T o u r i s t I n f o r m a t i o n 285
DIREC TORY
USA California (%800-439-6993 or 310-312-9544; gjohn
son@bahamas.com; 11400 W Olympic Blvd, suite 204, Los
Angeles, CA 90064, USA; Florida (%954-236-9292; bmotfl@
bahamas.com; 1200 S Pine Island Rd, Suite 750, Plantation, FL
33324, USA) Illinois (%773-693-1500; bmotch@bahamas.
com; 8600 W Bryn Mawr Ave, No 820, Chicago, IL 60631, USA)
New York (%212-758-2777; bmotny@bahamas.com; 150 E
52nd St, 28th fl, New York, NY 10022, USA)
Additional Bahamas websites include the
following.
www.bahamasnet.com
www.bahamas-on-line.com
www.caribbeanaviation.com
www.cruisecritic.com
www.interknowledge.com/bahamas
www.thenassauguardian.com
www.thinkbahamas.org
Turks & Caicos Visitor Centers
Cockburn Town (%649-946-2321; www.turksandcai
costourism.com; tci.tourism@tciway.tc; Front St, Cockburn
Town, Grand Turk)
Providenciales Providenciales Airport (%649-941-5496;
www.turksandcaicostourism.com) Stubbs Diamond Plaza
(%649-946-4970; Providenciales)
Turks & Caicos Tourism Offices Abroad
USA (%800-241-0824; tcitrsm@bellsouth.net; 2715 E
Oakland Pk Blvd, Suite 101, Ft Lauderdale FL33306, USA)
Canada (%613-332-6470; rwilson@northcom.net;
29620 Hwy 62N RR#2, Bancroft, Ontario KOL 1LO, Canada)
UK (%0180-350-1000; fax 0181-350-1011; 66 Abbey Rd,
Bush Hill Pk, Enfield, Middlesex EN12RQ, England, UK)
Additional Turks and Caicos websites:
www.northcaicos.tc
www.wherewhenhow.com
www.tcisearch.com
www.milk.tciway.tc
VISAS
Bahamas
Canadians and citizens of the UK and Com-
monwealth countries may enter the Baha-
mas without a passport or visa for up to
three weeks. For longer stays, a passport
is required. However, UK citizens need
to show a passport to re-enter their home
country. Changes to the law in effect from
31 December 2005 mean US citizens and
all visitors are now required to have a pass-
port or ‘other secure, accepted document’ to
enter or re-enter the USA from the Carib-
bean. Onward tickets will also be required.
DIREC TORY 286 D I R E C T O R Y • • W o m e n T r a v e l e r s
Visitors from most European countries,
Turkey and Israel require passports but no
visas for stays up to three months. Citizens
of most Central and South American coun-
tries, including Mexico, require passports
but no visas for stays up to 14 days. Visas
are required for longer stays.
Citizens of the following countries re-
quire passports and visas for stays of any
duration: Dominican Republic, Haiti, South
Africa and all communist countries. Citi-
zens of all other countries should check
current entry requirements with the nearest
Bahamian embassy. For any enquiries about
extended stays or work (there are strict legal
regulations about foreigners seeking work
in the Bahamas) check with the Ministry of
Labour & Immigration Department (%242-322-
7530; fax 242-326-0977; PO Box N-831, E Hill St, Nassau).
Turks & Caicos
US citizens need proof of citizenship (a
valid passport, voter’s registration card or
birth certificate) and photo identification
to enter the Turks and Caicos. Changes to
the law in effect from 31 December 2005
mean US citizens and all visitors are re-
quired to have a passport or ‘other secure,
accepted document’ to enter or re-enter the
USA from the Caribbean. No visas are re-
quired for citizens of the US, Canada, UK
and Commonwealth countries, Ireland and
most Western European countries. Citizens
of most other countries require visas, which
can be obtained from British embassies,
High Commissions or consulates abroad.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Proof of onward transportation or tickets
are required upon entry.
For information on work, residence, or
stays longer than three months, contact
the Turks and Caicos Immigration Department
(%649-946-2929; fax 649-946-2924; South Base, Grand
Turk, Turks and Caicos, BWI).
WOMEN TRAVELERS
It is unusual for women to travel alone in
the Caribbean and West Indies, and you
will be asked on many occasions by curi-
ous men and women about your husband’s
whereabouts. This is a friendly enquiry, and
it is often easier to reply that you are meet-
ing up somewhere or that he is working,
rather than get into the whole discussion
about free choice.
There is no doubt that these amiable
locals will be concerned about your wel-
fare. Although single women have little to
fear in either the Bahamas or the Turks
and Caicos, and cases of sexual assault are
very, very rare, there is always the exception
that proves the rule. Enjoy the warmth of
their trepidation, take obvious precautions
at night, and dress appropriately; you’ll
never see a Bahamian or Turks and Cai-
cos woman in shorts, let alone a bikini top,
around town.
Women’s Crisis Centre (%242-328-0922; Shirley St,
Nassau) can assist in an emergency or if you
need emotional support, while the Women’s
Health & Diagnostic Centre (%242-322-6440; 1st
Terr, Collins Ave, Nassau) and Women’s Health (%242-
328-6636; Collins Ave, Nassau) are useful resources.

Transportation
CONTENTS
Getting There & Away
Bahamas
Turks & Caicos
Getting Around
Bahamas
Turks & Caicos
GETTING THERE &
AWAY
With the Bahamas consisting of some
700 islands and 2000 cays spread over a
100,000-sq-mile radius and the Turks and
Caicos having a further 40-odd islands and
cays to explore, this is not exactly a simple
one flight in and another flight out set of
islands. But isn’t that part of the region’s
charms? Private boat–owners certainly be-
lieve so.
Nearly all the region’s major interna-
tional traffic flows through Nassau, New
Providence. The main forms of transport
are scheduled flights and cruise liners.
From Nassau, local carriers, a few ferries
and the slower mail boats reach most in-
habited islands and cays.
The skies are opening up, however, and
it is now possible to take direct flights from
the USA and Europe to a few of the other
Bahamian islands and Providenciales in the
Caicos.
THINGS CHANGE
The information in this chapter is particu-
larly vulnerable to change. Check directly
with the airline or a travel agent to make
sure you understand how a fare (and ticket
you may buy) works and be aware of the
security requirements for international
travel. Shop carefully. The details given in
this chapter should be regarded as point-
ers and are not a substitute for your own
careful, up-to-date research.
287
BAHAMAS
Entering the Bahamas
All baggage is subject to customs inspec-
tion, and Bahamian customs officials take
287
this business seriously. All visitors must
287
complete a Baggage Declaration Form.
291
Individuals are allowed to import $10,000
292
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
cash, plus 50 cigars, 200 cigarettes, or 1lb of
293
tobacco, plus 1 quart of spirits free of charge.
294
Purchases totaling $100 are also allowed for
all arriving passengers. You are allowed to
bring in a reasonable amount of personal
belongings free of charge. However, you may
need to show proof that laptop computers
and other expensive items are for personal
use. You should declare these upon arrival.
Excess items deemed to be imported
goods are generally subject to 35% duty.
The tariff is 25% for clothing and increases
to 300% for certain items.
The following items are also restricted: fire-
arms, drugs (except prescription medicines),
flowers and plants, honey, fruits, coffee, and
meats and vegetables (unless canned).
For further information, contact the Ba-
hamas Customs Department (%242-325-6550).
PASSPORT
Changes to the law in effect from 31 Decem-
ber 2005 mean US citizens and all visitors
are now required to have a passport or ‘other
secure, accepted document’ to enter or re-
enter the United States from the Caribbean.
Onward tickets will also be required.
Visitors from most European countries,
Turkey and Israel require passports but no
visas for stays of up to three months. Citi-
zens of most Central and South American
countries, including Mexico, require pass-
ports but no visas for stays of up to 14 days.
Visas are required for longer stays.
Citizens of the following countries require
passports and visas for stays of any duration:
Dominican Republic, Haiti, South Africa,
and all communist countries. Citizens of all
other countries should check current entry
requirements with the nearest Bahamian
embassy. For information about extended
stays or work (there are strict regulations
for foreigners seeking work in the Bahamas)
check with the Ministry of Labor & Immigration
 288 G E T T I N G T H E R E & A W AY • • B a h a m a s
Department (%242-322-7530; fax 242-326-0977; PO
Box N-831, E Hill St, Nassau).
Air
AIRPORTS & AIRLINES
The Bahamas has six international airports,
including two major hubs at Nassau and
Freeport.
Exuma International Airport (GGT; %242-345-
00095) Located in George Town, Exuma.
Freeport International Airport (FPO; %242-352-
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
6020) Located in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Marsh Harbour International Airport (MHH;
%242-367-3039) Located in Marsh Harbour, Abacos.
Moss Town Exuma International Airport (MWX;
%242-345-0030) Located in Moss Town, Exuma.
Nassau International Airport (NAS; %242-377-
7281) Located in Nassau, New Providence.
North Eleuthera International Airport (ELH;
%242-335-1242) Located in North Eleuthera.
Airlines Flying To & From the Bahamas
The Bahamas is well served by flights from
North America and Europe. Its proximity
to Florida means regular, relatively inex-
pensive flights from Miami, Fort Lauderd-
ale and Orlando, as well as other east coast
gateways. Nassau is less than three hours’
flying time from the northeast USA and
about 30 minutes by jet from Miami.
The national airline of the Bahamas, Ba-
hamasair (%242-377-5505, Freeport %242-352-8341;
www.bahamasair.com) has an unblemished safety
record and the pilots have an excellent reputa-
tion (see www.airsafe.com for details). How-
ever, delays and lost luggage are regular
occurrences. Bahamians say ‘If you have time
to spare, fly Bahamasair.’ You are warned.
The following major international air-
lines have offices at Nassau Airport.
Air Canada (AC; %1-888-247-2262, 242-377-8220;
www.aircanada.ca; hubs Toronto & Montréal)
Air Jamaica (JM; %1-800-523-5585, 242-377-3301;
www.airjamaica.com; hub Montego Bay)
Air Sunshine (YI; %1-800-327-8900, 954-434-8900;
www.airsunshine.com; hub Fort Lauderdale)
American Airlines/American Eagle (AA; %1-800-
433-7300, 242-377-2355; www.aa.com; hubs New York,
Newark, Miami & Orlando)
Bahamasair (UP; %242-377-5505, Freeport %242-
352-8341; www.bahamasair.com; hubs Nassau & Freeport,
Miami, Orlando & Fort Lauderdale)
British Airways (BA; %1-800-247-9297, 242-377-
2338; www.british-airways.com; hubs Heathrow &
Gatwick)
www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G E T T I N G T H E R E & A W AY • • B a h a m a s 289
Chalk’s Ocean Airways (OP; %1-800-424-2557, Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) Cheap deals when flying from Travac (%1800-872-8800; www.thetravelsite.com)
242-363-3114; www.flychalks.com; hubs Atlantis Heliport, the USA. Travel Cuts (%800-667-2887; www.travelcuts.com)
Paradise Island nr Nassau, Fort Lauderdale & Miami) Priceline (www.priceline.com) A name-your-own-
Continental Connection/Gulfstream International price site. CONTINENTAL EUROPE
(3M; %1-800-231-0856, 242-394-6019; www.gulf STA Travel (www.sta-travel.com) Prominent in France
streamair.com; Star Plaza, Mackey St, Nassau; hubs Miami, international student travel, but you don’t have to be a OTU Voyages (%0820-817-817; www.otu.fr)
Fort Lauderdale & West Palm Beach) student to use the site. Voyageurs du Monde (%01-42-86-1600;
Delta Air Lines/Comair (DL; %1-800-241-4141, 242- Travel (www.travel.com.au) Reputable online flight- www.vdm.com)
377-7774, 800-354-9822; www.delta.com; hubs bookers from New Zealand and Australia.
New York, Orlando, Cincinnati & Atlanta) Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) A US site that allows Germany
Island Express (3Z;%954-359-0380; www.abacotoday you to search fares to and from practically anywhere. Just Travel (%089-747-3330; www.justtravel.de)
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
.com/islandexpress; hub Fort Lauderdale) STA Travel (%01805-456-422; www.statravel.de)
Laker Airways (7Z; %242-352-3389; Freeport The following table includes prices for one-
International Airport; hub Freeport) way tickets on popular routes. Italy
US Airways/US Air Express (US; %1-800-622-1015, CTS Viaggi (%06-462-0431)
242-377-8886; www.usair.com; hubs New York & Miami) Route Price Frequency Passagi (%06-474-0923)
Charter Airlines Biminis–Fort Lauderdale $117 3 daily Netherlands
Charter flights are available throughout the Freeport–Miami $267 3 daily Airfair (%020-620-5121; www.airfair.nl)
Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Some of Freeport–New York $674 3 daily NBBS Reizen (%0900-10-20-300; www.mytravel.nl)
the major charter companies flying in this George Town–Fort Lauderdale $167 3 weekly
region: Governor’s Harbour–Fort $164 4 weekly THE UK & IRELAND
Cherokee Air (%242-367-3450; www.cherokeeair.com; Lauderdale Bridge the World (%0870-444-7474; www.b-t-w.co.uk)
hub Marsh Harbour, Abaco) Marsh Harbour–Fort Lauderdale $186 3 daily Dive Worldwide (%1794-389-372; www.diveworld
Lynx (%954-772-9808; www.lynxair.com; hub Marsh Harbour–Miami $186 1 daily wide.com)
Fort Lauderdale) Marsh Harbour–West Palm Beach $186 2 daily Flight Centre (%0870-890-8099; www.flightcentre
Professional Air Charters (%888-938-9508; Nassau–London $919 2 weekly .co.uk)
www.professionalaircharters.com; hub Fort Lauderdale) Nassau–Miami $185 5 daily Flightbookers (%0870-010-7000; www.ebookers.com)
Twin Air Airways (%954-359-8266; www.flytwinair Nassau–Montego Bay $333 5 weekly STA Travel (%0870-160-0599; www.statravel.co.uk)
.com; hub Fort Lauderdale Jet Centre) Nassau–Montréal $540 1 weekly Trailfinders (%020-7938-3939; www.trailfinders.co.uk)
Yellow Taxi–Charter (%888-935-5694; www.fly Nassau–Provo, Caicos $216 2 weekly
yellowairtaxi.com; hub Fort Lauderdale Jet Centre) Nassau–Toronto $540 1 daily Sea
New Bight–Fort Lauderdale $217 4 weekly CRUISE SHIPS
TICKETS North Eleuthera–Miami $196 2 daily If you just want a short taste of the Baha-
As an alternative to booking directly with Treasure Cay–Miami $188 1 daily mas, consider visiting by cruise ship. The
airlines, there is a plethora of web-based Treasure Cay Beach–Fort $186 2 daily Bahamas is by far the most popular port of
companies selling flights, and you can some- Lauderdale call in the Caribbean region.
times find bargain fares this way. Some web- Cruise experiences vary vastly accord-
sites are listed below: AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND ing to the cruise company and individual
Airbrokers (www.airbrokers.com) A US company Flight Centre Australia (%131-600; www.flightcentre ship you choose. One person’s sugar may be
specializing in cheap tickets. .com.au) New Zealand (%1800-243-544; www.flight another’s poison. For example, some pas-
Cheap Flights (www.chepflight.com) A very informative centre.co.nz) sengers may wish to avoid the cruise liners
site with specials, airline info and flight searches mainly STA Travel Australia (%1300-360-960; www.sta now trotting out old rock bands such as
from the USA and UK. travel.com.au) New Zealand (%1800-874-773; REO Speedwagon or Foreigner for ‘rock-
Cheap Tickets (www.cheaptickets.com) Discount flight www.statravel.co.nz) nights,’ while other travelers may whip out
specialists. Thor Travel Australia (%1800-801-119; www.thor their snakeskin boots and shoulder pads, do
Expedia (www.expedia.co.uk) A UK-based company worldtravel.com) a combover, and just get on down. Caveat
listing major airlines; the earlier you book the better. emptor!
Flight Centre (www.flightcentre.co.uk, www.flight CANADA & THE USA Cruise Line International Association (www.cruis
centre.com.au) One of the largest and cheapest travel Air Brokers International (%1800-883-3273; ing.org) is a handy resource. Most cruises that
agents in the UK and Australia. www.airbrokers.com) call in the Bahamas depart from Florida
Hotwire (www.hotwire.com) Bookings from the US Airtech (%1877-247-8324; www.airtech.com) and, less frequently, from New York.
only, some cheap last-minute deals. Airtreks Inc (%1800-350-0612; www.airtreks.com) Immigration and customs formalities are
Last Minute (www.lastminute.com) One of the better Skylinks US (%1800-247-6659; www.skylinkus.com) handled by the cruise companies upon ar-
sites for last-minute deals including hotels. STA Travel (%1800-777-0112; www.statravel.com) rival in port.
 290 G E T T I N G T H E R E & A W AY • • B a h a m a s
Some major cruise lines include the
following:
Cape Canaveral Cruise Line (%321-783-4052, 800-
910-7447; www.capecanaveral.com)
Carnival Cruise Lines (%305-599-2200, 800-327-
9501; www.carnival.com)
Celebrity Cruises (%305-358-7325, 800-437-3111;
www.celebrity.com)
Costa Cruises (%305-358-7325, 800-462-6782;
www.costacruises.com)
Crystal Cruises (%310-785-9300, 800-446-6620;
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
www.crystalcruises.com)
Discovery Cruise Line (%800-866-8687, 800-937-
4477; www.discoverycruise.com)
Disney Cruise Line (%407-566-3500, 800-511-8444;
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/home)
Dolphin Cruise Lines (%305-358-5122; www
.dolphincruise.com)
Holland America Line (%206-281-3535, 800-426-
0327; www.hollandamerica.com)
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL; %305-436-4000, 800-
327-7030; www.ncl.com)
Premier Cruises (%305-358-5122, 800-990-7770;
www.premiercruises.com)
Princess Cruises (%310-553-1770, 800-421-0522;
www.princess.com)
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (%305-379-4731,
800-327-6700; www.royalcaribbean.com)
FERRIES
Discovery Cruise (%1800-937-4477; www.discovery
cruise.com) runs daily between Fort Lauderd-
ale and Freeport, Grand Bahama ($129). It
leaves Fort Lauderdale at 7:45am, returning
at 10pm. Rates include three main meals.
There’s a Las Vegas–style casino on board.
FREIGHTERS
Gone are the good ol’ days when travelers
could easily buy passage aboard the banana
freighters that plied between the Caribbean
and North America and Europe, but it’s not
impossible. Try the following for some helpful
information on traveling by freighter.
Ford’s Freighter Travel Guide & Water-
ways of the World by Judith Howard (%818-
701-7414; 19448 Londelius St, Northridge, CA 91324, USA)
lists freighters that carry passengers. The
Freight & Cruise Travel Association (TravlTips; www
.travltips.com) has a website that lists freight
ships that take passengers.
Windjammer Barefoot Cruises (%305-672-6453,
800-327-2601; www.windjammer.com) has a 13-day
cruise from Freeport to Trinidad ($1,475)
aboard the Amazing Grace, a ‘workhorse’
www.lonelyplanet.com
vessel supplying the company’s clipper ships
in the Caribbean (none of which sail to the
Bahamas). It has elegant cabins and charm. It
stops at Nassau, Little San Salvador, Concep-
tion Island, Little Inagua and the Plana Cays,
plus Grand Turk and Providenciales.
YACHTS
The sheltered waters of the 750-mile-long ar-
chipelago attract thousands of yachters each
year. Winds and currents favor the passage
south. Sailing conditions are at their best
in summer, though you should keep fully
abreast of weather reports, as summer is hur-
ricane season.
Customs
You must clear customs and immigration
upon arrival in the Bahamas. For details
of each port’s marinas, see the destination
chapters. Your crew and guests will each
need either a passport or birth certificate (a
driver’s license is not proof of citizenship).
You’ll need to clear customs again upon ar-
rival at each island. It’s a hassle, but the Ba-
hamas’ drug problem is such that you should
be sympathetic to this policy. Anticipate the
possibility of being boarded and searched by
the US or Bahamian coast guard.
Details of official requirements are given
in the Yachtsman’s Guide to The Bahamas
including Turks & Caicos (see opposite).
Specified marinas on each island are des-
ignated ports of entry (you may not enter at
any other place):
Abacos Green Turtle Cay, Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbour,
Spanish Cay, Walker’s Cay.
Andros Congo Town, Fresh Creek, San Andros.
Berry Islands Chub Cay, Great Harbour Cay.
Biminis Alice Town, South Bimini, Cat Cay.
Cat Island Smith’s Bay, New Bight, Bennett’s Harbour.
Eleuthera Governor’s Harbour, Harbour Island, North
Eleuthera, Rock Sound, Spanish Wells.
Exumas George Town, Moss Town.
Grand Bahama Freeport Harbour, Port Lucaya Marina,
Old Bahamas Bay Marina (West End).
Great Inagua Matthew Town.
Long Island Stella Maris.
Mayaguana Abraham’s Bay.
New Providence Nassau (any yacht basin).
San Salvador Cockburn Town.
Permits
You’ll require the regular documentation
for foreign travel (see p287). There is a $150
www.lonelyplanet.com
charge for each foreign pleasure vessel
under 30ft, and a $300 charge for vessels
longer than 30ft with up to four passen-
gers. Each additional person must pay $15.
These charges cover customs and immigra-
tion services as well as fishing and cruising
permits.
You must have a separate import permit
for any pets on board. Contact the Depart-
ment of Agriculture (%242-325-7413; fax 242-325-
3960; Levy Bldg, E Bay St, Nassau) for information.
Maps, Charts & Guidebooks
You’ll need accurate maps and charts for
any voyage through the Bahamas and Turks
and Caicos’ reef-infested waters. British Ad-
miralty charts, US Defense Mapping Agency
charts, and Imray yachting charts are all ac-
curate. You can order them in advance from
Bluewater Books & Charts (US %1-954-763-6533,
1-800-942-2583; www.bluewaterweb.com).
No sailor should set out without the ex-
cellent Yachtsman’s Guide to The Bahamas
including Turks & Caicos ($40). It provides
detailed descriptions of just about every
possible anchorage in the archipelago, and
lists information on marinas throughout
the islands as well as other invaluable in-
formation. Small sketch charts are not in-
tended for use in navigation. It’s available at
bookstores and marinas in the Bahamas or
by mail from Tropic Isle Publishers (US %305-
893-4277; PO Box 610938, N Miami, FL 33261, USA).
Likewise, refer to the splendid Bahamas
Cruising Guide by Mathew Wilson, which
is available at good bookstores, and Julius
Wilensky’s Cruising Guide to the Abacos
and the Northern Bahamas ($20). These
and many other regional boating guides
can be ordered from White Sound Press (US
%386-423-7880; www.wspress.com).
Waterproof Charts (%800-423-9026; www.water
proofcharts.com) publishes a series of large-scale
waterproof sectional charts of the Bahamas.
The charts mostly show physical features and
are of limited use as travel maps. Larger-scale
(11in by 17in) versions of the charts can be
ordered; they’re highly detailed and durable.
A complete set of eight charts covers the Ba-
hamas and Turks and Caicos ($160).
US government charts of the region can
be ordered through most marine stores, as
can detailed charts from National Oceanic & At-
mospheric Administration (NOAA; %301-436-6829;
www.nws.noaa.gov).
G E T T I N G T H E R E & A W AY • • Tu r k s & C a i c o s 291
Crewing
Crewing aboard a yacht destined for the
Bahamas from North America or the Car-
ibbean is a popular way of getting to the
islands. Check the bulletin boards of mar-
inas: often you’ll find notes advertising for
crew or you can leave one of your own.
TURKS & CAICOS
Entering the Turks & Caicos
Visitors may each bring in duty free one car-
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
ton of cigarettes or 50 cigars, one bottle of
liquor or wine and 50g of perfume. The im-
portation of all firearms is forbidden, except
upon written authorization from the Com-
missioner of Police. Having spear guns, drugs
and pornography with you is also illegal.
For further information, contact Turks
and Caicos Customs (Grand Turk % 649-946-2801,
Provo %649-946-4241).
PASSPORT
Changes to the law in 2005 mean US citizens
and all visitors are now required to have a
passport or ‘other secure, accepted docu-
ment’ to enter or re-enter the United States
from the Caribbean. Everyone else includ-
ing UK citizens also need a valid passport.
No visas are required for citizens of the US,
Canada, the UK and Commonwealth coun-
tries, Ireland, and most Western European
countries. Citizens of most other countries
require visas, which can be obtained from
British embassies, High Commissions or con-
sulates abroad (see p279).
Proof of onward transportation or tickets
are required upon entry.
For information on work, residency or
stays longer than three months, contact
the Turks and Caicos Immigration Department
(%649-946-2929; fax 649-946-2924; South Base, Grand
Turk, Turks & Caicos, BWI).
Air
AIRPORTS & AIRLINES
There are three airports handling interna-
tional traffic to Grand Turk and Provo, but
most international flights arrive at Provo.
Other islands have local airstrips.
Grand Turk International Airport (GDT; %649-
946-2233)
Providenciales International Airport, Caicos (PLS;
%649-941-5670)
South Caicos International Airport (XSC; %649-
946-4255)
 292 G E T T I N G A R O U N D www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com G E T T I N G A R O U N D • • B a h a m a s 293

The national carrier is Air Turks and Caicos
(QW; %649-941-5481; www.airturksandcaicos.com; hub
Caicos). It has a very good safety record and
flies to Miami and Nassau.
Airlines Flying To and From the
Turks & Caicos
Air Canada (AC; %649-941-3136; www.aircanada.com;
hub Toronto)
Air Jamaica (JM; %1-800-523-5585; www.airjamaica
.com; hub Montego Bay)
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
FREIGHTERS
A comfortable passenger-carrying freighter
departs from Grand Bahama to drop off
supplies at Nassau, Little San Salvador, Con-
ception Island, Little Inagua and the Plana
Cays, plus Grand Turk and Providenciales.
See p290 for details of this trip and some
other useful information sources on freighter
travel.
YACHTS
without constantly backtracking is a bit of a
feat. Even the mail boats are Nassau-centric.
BAHAMAS
Air
AIRLINES IN THE BAHAMAS
Interisland flights offer the only quick
and convenient way to travel within the
Bahamas, and islanders ride airplanes like
Londoners use buses. You don’t save any
money by booking interisland tickets for
CHARTER FLIGHTS
See p288 for a list of the region’s major
charter airlines.
Bicycle
Cycling is a cheap, convenient, healthy, en-
vironmentally sound and above all fun way
to travel. Major resort hotels rent bicycles
for $20 a day. Unfortunately, the bikes are
heavy, have only one gear and are virtually
guaranteed to give you a sore bum.

T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
American Airlines/American Eagle (AA; %649- Yachters are permitted seven days in the is- the Bahamas in advance.
946-4948; www.aa.com; hubs New York & Miami) lands, after which they must obtain a cruis- The scene is dominated by Bahamasair Boat
Bahamasair (UP; %649-941-3136; www.bahamasair ing permit good for three months. See the (UP; %242-377-5505, Freeport %242-352-8341; www BOAT EXCURSIONS
.com; hub Nassau) island chapters for marina details. .bahamasair.com; hubs Nassau & Freeport). The airline There are a myriad of boat excursions on
British Airways (BA; %1-800-247-9297, 649-946-4420; If traveling in your own boat, you must runs on a hub-and-spoke system: Nassau’s offer covering activities such as watersports,
www.british-airways.com; hubs Heathrow & Gatwick) clear customs and immigration. Contact the main hub. If you island-hop a lot, you’ll sightseeing, pleasure cruises, snorkeling
Delta Air Lines/Comair (DL;%1-800-221-1212; www details for these officials are listed in des- feel like a yo-yo and may need to stay in Nas- and diving. Refer to the destination chap-
.delta.com; hubs La Guardia New York & Boston) tination chapters. sau between flights. Budget accordingly. ters for further information.
US Airways/US Air Express (US; %1-800-622-1015; Many of the approaches and landfalls lie There are several airlines operating in
www.usair.com; hubs Philadelphia & New York) within protected areas where anchoring is the Bahamas. FERRY & WATER TAXI
strictly controlled (moorings within such Abaco Air (%242-367-2266; www.abacoaviationcentre The only ferry operator in the islands is
TICKETS areas are for dive boats only, although vis- .com/abacoair; hub Marsh Harbour) Bahamas Ferries (% 242-323-2166/8; www.baha
See p288 for a list of online travel agencies. iting yachts can moor while diving). No Caribbean Aviation (%242-377-3317; caribairline@ masferries.com), which runs a high-speed ferry
The fares below are one way. firearms may be brought into the Turks and yahoo.com; hub Nassau) linking Nassau, Andros, Abacos, Eleuthera
Caicos (you must surrender them for the Cat Island Air (%242-377-3318; fax 242-377-3723; and the Exumas.
Route Price Frequency duration of your stay). No conch or lobster hub Nassau) Water taxis ply between Nassau and Para-
may be taken and fishing in national sea Flamingo Air Charter Services (%242-377-0354; dise Island. Several other offshore islands
Providenciales–Atlanta $449 1 daily parks is forbidden. www.flamingoair.com; hub Nassau) and their neighboring cays are served by
Providenciales–Boston $431 1 weekly The latest regulations can be obtained Major’s Air Services (%242-352-5778; www.thebaha private water taxis.
Providenciales–Cap Haiten $140 4 daily from the Department of Environment & Coastal masguide.com/majorair; hubs Grand Bahama & Eleuthera) Government-run water taxis link islands
Providenciales–Charlotte $473 1 daily Resources (Grand Turk %649-946-2855; fax 649-946- Southern Air (%242-367-2498; www.southernair that are a short distance apart, such as North
Providenciales–Cuba $380 2 weekly 1895; ccr@tciway.tc; Providenciales %649-946-4017; fax charter.com; hub Nassau) Bimini and South Bimini; Mangrove Cay
Providenciales–Heathrow $952 2 weekly 649-941-3063; South Caicos %/fax 649-946-3306). Western Air (%242-329-4000; fax 242-329-3167; hub and South Andros; and Crooked and Ack-
Providenciales–Miami $371 2 daily Contact Wavey Line Publishing (www.wavey Andros & Nassau) lins Islands.
Providenciales–Montego Bay $343 4 weekly linepublishing.com) to obtain a copy of Turks &
Providenciales–Nassau $216 2 weekly Caicos Islands Overall, a series of naviga- Tickets MAIL BOAT
Providenciales–New York $416 1 daily tional charts of the Turks and Caicos ($28 Refer to the destination chapters for rele- Around 30 mail boats sail under govern-
Providenciales–Puerto Plaza $179 2 daily each). Nautical charts are sold in the Turks vant interisland flight information. The ment contract to most inhabited islands.
Providenciales–Toronto $813 2 weekly and Caicos at the Unicorn Bookstore (p243) table below includes prices for one-way They regularly depart Potter’s Cay for
on Provo. See Maps, Charts & Guidebooks fares for connections to Nassau. Grand Bahama and all the Family Islands.
SEA (p291) for some other excellent reference Traditionally sailing overnight, boat jour-
CRUISE SHIPS materials. Route Price Frequency neys last between five and 24 hours. You
The major cruise lines bypass the Turks Boaters and yachties should use VHF can call the Dockmaster’s Office (%242-394-
and Caicos, although this may change in channel 16 (and VHF 09 or 13 in an emer- Nassau–Abacos $81 3 daily 1237) and check with the Bahamas Ministry
the future – the government has been talk- gency) for communications. Nassau–Andros $68 2 daily of Tourism (%242-322-7500; www.bahamas.com) for
ing of building a cruise-ship terminal on Nassau–Biminis $85 2 daily the latest schedules and prices.
East Caicos.
At the time of going to press, a couple
of cruise companies provided regular
GETTING AROUND Nassau–Cat Island
Nassau–Crooked
Nassau–Eleuthera
$75
$105
$69
2 daily
2 weekly
2 daily
Car & Motorcycle
Bahamians are generally very cautious and
cruises to these islands: American Canadian Perusing a map, you may be tempted to Nassau–Exumas $81 3 daily civilized drivers. Main roads are normally
Caribbean Line (% 0800-556-7450; www.accl-sm think that island-hopping down the chain Nassau–Grand Bahama $85 6 daily in good condition, but minor roads are
allships.com) as well as Windjammer Barefoot is easy. But unless you have your own boat Nassau–Inagua $111 3 weekly often indented with deep potholes. Believe
Cruises (%305-672-6453, 800-327-2601; www.wind or plane, it isn’t. Interisland air travel is cen- Nassau–Long Island $85 1 daily any Bahamian who warns you that a road
jammer.com). tered on Nassau. Getting between the islands Nassau–San Salvador $80 3 weekly is in bad condition.
 294 G E T T I N G A R O U N D • • Tu r k s & C a i c o s
DRIVER’S LICENSE
To rent a car you must be 21 (some com-
panies rent only to those 25 or older) and
must have a current license for your home
country or state. Visitors can drive using
their home license for up to three months.
FUEL
Esso, Shell and Texaco maintain gas (petrol)
stations on most islands. Gas stations are
usually open from 8am to about 7pm. Some
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
close on Sunday. In Nassau and Freeport
you’ll find stations open 24 hours a day.
Gasoline costs $3.50 per US gallon. Credit
cards are accepted in major settlements;
elsewhere, it’s cash only.
HIRE
Several major international car-rental com-
panies have outlets in Nassau and Freep-
ort, as do smaller local firms. In the Family
Islands there are some very good local agen-
cies. Ask your hotel for recommendations,
or look for display boards at the airport.
Local companies may not offer insurance.
You usually rent for 24-hour periods
with rates starting at $70. Rates start from
around $80 in Nassau, and from $60 on the
smaller islands.
Golf carts can be rented on the smaller
islands and cays for $40 per day.
INSURANCE
Damage-waiver insurance is $15 a day. On
many Family Islands, however, no insur-
ance is on offer at all.
ROAD RULES
Always drive on the left-hand side of the
road. At traffic circles (roundabouts), remem-
ber to circle in a clockwise direction, entering
to the left. You must give way to traffic al-
ready in the circle. It is compulsory to wear a
helmet when riding a motorcycle or scooter.
Hitchhiking
Hitching is never entirely safe anywhere, and
we don’t recommend it. Travelers who do
decide to hitch should understand that they
are taking a small but potentially serious risk.
Those who choose to hitch will be safer if
they travel in pairs, and let someone know
where they are planning to go. Hitchhiking
by locals is fairly prevalent (and legal) in the
Bahamas, especially in the Family Islands.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Local Transportation
BUS
Nassau and Freeport have dozens of jitney
buses (private minibuses) licensed to oper-
ate on set routes.
There is no public transportation on the
Family Islands or at airports (the taxi driv-
ers’ union is too powerful). Few hotels are
allowed to run a transfer service for guests.
TAXI
There’s no shortage of licensed taxis in Nas-
sau and Freeport, where they can be hailed
on the streets. Taxis are also the main form
of local transportation in the Family Islands,
where they meet all incoming planes.
All taxi operators are licensed. Taxi fares
are fixed by the government based on dis-
tance. Rates are usually for two people, with
each additional person charged a flat-rate of
$3. Fixed rates have been established from
airports and cruise terminals to specific hotels
and major destinations. These rates should be
shown in the taxi. However, you should be
aware of some crafty scams in Nassau and
Freeport, where an unscrupulous driver may
attempt to charge additional people the same
rate as the first and second passengers.
TURKS & CAICOS
Air
AIRLINES IN THE TURKS & CAICOS
Both scheduled local carriers have excellent
safety records:
Air Turks & Caicos (JY;%649-941-5481; www.airturks
andcaicos.com; hub Providenciales)
Skyking (RU; %649-941-5464; www.skyking.tc; hub
Provenciales)
Tickets
The two local carriers fly between the fol-
lowing islands in the Turks and Caicos re-
gion. The following are sample prices for
one-way fares.
Route Price Frequency
Grand Turk–Salt Cay $25 2 daily
Providenciales–Grand Turk $70 11 daily
Providenciales–Sth Caicos $65 3 daily
Providenciales–Middle Caicos $40 1 daily
Providenciales–Nth Caicos $30 2 daily
Charter planes are available on most islands
for private hire.
www.lonelyplanet.com
Bicycle
Cycling is an inexpensive and great way to
travel. Bicycles can be rented at many hotels
and concessions for about $20 per day.
Boat
BOAT EXCURSIONS
Most trips depart from the marinas in
Provo (Providenciales). They cover the full
gamut of pleasure cruises, watersports and
sightseeing. Snorkeling and diving trips are
offered on every island and operators will
normally include any special wishes in their
itineraries. Please refer to the destination
chapters for specific trip details.
FERRY & WATER TAXI
A ferry normally runs biweekly from Grand
Turk to Salt Cay ($12 round trip). Book
ahead with Salt Cay Charters (%649-231-6663;
piratequeen3@hotmail.com). Whale-watching trips
with this company cost $75.
Car, Motorcycle & Scooter
Because local transportation is limited, rent-
ing a car makes sense if you plan to explore
Provo or Grand Turk. Provo does have a
few atrocious, potholed, rocky and dusty
roads, although many are now paved.
DRIVER’S LICENSE
To rent a car for up to three months, citi-
zens of the USA, Canada, the UK and Com-
monwealth countries are required to have a
valid driver’s license from their home coun-
try. Everyone else requires an International
Driving Permit. You must obtain this permit
before you arrive in the Turks and Caicos.
FUEL
Gas stations are plentiful and usually open
from 8am to 7pm. Some close on Sunday.
Gasoline costs $3.50 per US gallon. Credit
G E T T I N G A R O U N D • • Tu r k s & C a i c o s 295
cards are accepted in major settlements.
Elsewhere, you’ll need to pay cash.
HIRE
Car rentals are available from $80 per day.
Otherwise, stick to taxis for one-off trips or
bicycles for scooting around locally. A gov-
ernment tax of $15 per rental on cars and $8
on scooter rentals is levied. Please refer to
island destinations for rental companies.
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
INSURANCE
Mandatory insurance costs $15 per day.
ROAD RULES
Driving is on the left-hand side of the road.
At traffic circles (roundabouts), remember
to circle in a clockwise direction, entering
to the left. You must give way to traffic
already in the circle. Speed limits in the
Turks and Caicos are 20mph in settlements
and 40mph on main highways.
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is legal in the Turks and Caicos
islands. However, only locals heading to and
from work normally use their thumbs.
Local Transportation
BUS
Public bus services are limited to a few
jitney routes in Provo. For regular routes,
check with the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board
(Providenciales Airport %649-941-5496, 649-946-4970;
www.turksandcaicostourism.com; Stubbs Diamond Plaza,
Providenciales).
TAXI
Taxis are available on all the inhabited
islands. Most are minivans. They’re a good
bet for touring; most taxi drivers double as
guides. Be sure to negotiate an agreeable
price before setting out.
 296
Health
David Goldberg MD
section of the Lonely Planet website (www.lonely
planet.com/travel_links) for more information.
CONTENTS US travelers can find a list of medical
evacuation and travel insurance companies
Before You Go 296
on the US State Department website (http://travel
Insurance 296
Recommended Vaccinations
Medical Checklist
296
296
.state.gov). Find out in advance if your insur-
ance plan will make payments directly to
Internet Resources
Further Reading
296
297
providers or reimburse you later for over-
seas health expenditures.
In Transit 297
RECOMMENDED VACCINATIONS
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Jet Lag & Motion Sickness
297
297
No vaccinations are required to enter the Ba-
hamas or Turks and Caicos. However, a yel-
In The Bahamas & Turks & Caicos 297
low fever vaccination certificate is required
Availability & Cost of Health Care 297
for travelers arriving within seven days of
Infectious Diseases 297
traveling in many central African and South
Travelers’ Diarrhea 299
American countries. See www.mdtravelhea
Environmental Hazards 299
lth.com for a current list of infected areas.
Children & Pregnant Women 300
Prevention is the key to staying healthy
Vaccination protection lasts 10 years.
MEDICAL CHECKLIST
H E A LT H
while abroad. Travelers who receive the rec- ! acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol)
ommended vaccines and follow common- or aspirin
sense precautions usually come away with ! adhesive or paper tape
nothing more than a little diarrhea. ! antibacterial ointment (eg Bactroban) for
From the medical standpoint, the Bahamas cuts and abrasions
and Turks and Caicos are usually safe as long ! antibiotics
as you’re pretty careful about what you eat ! antidiarrheal drugs (eg loperamide)
and drink. The most common travel-related ! antihistamines (for hay fever and allergic
diseases, such as dysentery and hepatitis, are reactions)
acquired by consumption of contaminated ! anti-inflammatory drugs (eg ibuprofen)
food and water. Mosquito-borne illnesses are ! bandages, gauze and gauze rolls
not a significant concern here, except during ! DEET-containing insect repellent for the
outbreaks of dengue fever. skin
! iodine tablets (for water purification)
BEFORE YOU GO !
!
oral rehydration salts
permethrin-containing insect spray for
clothing, tents and bed nets
Bring medications in their original contain- ! pocketknife
ers, clearly labeled. A signed, dated letter ! scissors, safety pins and tweezers
from your physician describing all medical ! steroid cream or cortisone (for poison ivy
conditions and medications, including gen- and other allergic rashes)
eric names, is also a good idea. If carrying ! sunblock
syringes or needles, be sure to have a phys- ! syringes and sterile needles
ician’s letter documenting their medical ! thermometer
necessity.
INTERNET RESOURCES
INSURANCE There is a wealth of travel health advice on the
If your health insurance does not cover Internet. The Lonely Planet website (www.lonely
you for medical expenses abroad, consider planet.com) is a good place to start. The World
supplemental insurance. Check the Subway Health Organization (www.who.int/ith/) publishes a
www.lonelyplanet.com
superb book called International Travel and
Health, which is revised annually and is avail-
able online at no cost. Another website of
general interest is MD Travel Health (www.mdtravel-
health.com), which offers travel health recom-
mendations for every country, updated daily,
also at no cost.
It’s usually a good idea to consult your
government’s travel health website before
departure, if one is available.
Australia (www.smartraveller.gov.au)
Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english)
UK (www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice)
USA (www.cdc.gov/travel)
FURTHER READING
If you’re traveling with children, Lonely
Planet’s Travel with Children may be use-
ful. ABC of Healthy Travel by E Walker et
al, and Medicine for the Outdoors by Paul S
Auerbach, are other valuable resources.
IN TRANSIT
DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT )
Blood clots may form in the legs during
plane flights, chiefly because of prolonged
immobility. The longer the flight, the greater
the risk. Though most blood clots are reab-
sorbed uneventfully, some may break off and
travel through the blood vessels to the lungs,
where they could cause life-threatening
complications.
The chief symptom of DVT is swelling or
pain in the foot, ankle or calf, usually but
not always on just one side. When a blood
clot travels to the lungs, it may cause chest
pain and difficulty in breathing. Travelers
with any of these symptoms should imme-
diately seek medical attention.
To prevent the development of DVT
on long flights, you should walk about the
cabin, perform isometric compressions of
the leg muscles (ie contract the leg muscles
while sitting), drink plenty of fluids and
avoid alcohol and tobacco.
JET LAG & MOTION SICKNESS
Jet lag is common when crossing more
than five time zones, and is characterized
by insomnia, fatigue, malaise or nausea.
To avoid jet lag, try drinking plenty of flu-
ids (nonalcoholic) and eating light meals.
Upon arrival, get exposure to natural sunlight
I N T R A N S I T • • D e e p Ve i n T h r o m b o s i s ( D V T ) 297
and readjust your schedule (for meals, sleep
etc) as soon as possible.
Antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate
(Dramamine) and meclizine (Antivert, Bon-
ine) are usually the first choice for treating
motion sickness. Their main side effect is
drowsiness. A herbal alternative is ginger,
which works like a charm for some people.
IN THE BAHAMAS &
TURKS & CAICOS
AVAILABILITY & COST OF
HEALTH CARE
High-quality medical care is usually avail-
able, but expensive, in Nassau and Freeport
in the Bahamas. Medical care is limited else-
where. Bahamian doctors and hospitals ex-
pect payment in cash, regardless of whether
you have travel health insurance. If you de-
velop a life-threatening medical problem,
you’ll probably want to be evacuated to a
country with state-of-the-art medical care.
H E A LT H
Since this may cost tens of thousands of
dollars, be sure you have insurance to cover
this before you depart (see opposite).
Many pharmacies are well supplied, but
important medications may not be consist-
ently available. Be sure to bring along enough
supplies of all prescription drugs.
Medical facilities are limited in the Turks
and Caicos. There is a small public hospital
on Grand Turk and a private clinic on Provo,
which has a hyperbaric chamber. Most ser-
ious medical problems require medical evac-
uation by air from the Turks and Caicos to
the US.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is a viral infection found
throughout the Caribbean. Dengue is trans-
mitted by aedes mosquitoes, which bite
mostly during the daytime and are usually
found close to human habitations, often
indoors. They breed primarily in artificial
water containers, such as jars, barrels, cans,
cisterns, metal drums, plastic containers and
discarded tires. As a result, dengue is espe-
cially common in densely populated, urban
environments.
Dengue usually causes flu-like symptoms,
including fever, muscle aches, joint pains,
 298 I N T H E B A HA MA S & T U R K S & C A I C O S • • I n fe c t i o u s D i s e a s e s
headaches, nausea and vomiting, often fol-
lowed by a rash. The body aches may be quite
uncomfortable, but most cases resolve un-
eventfully in a few days. Severe cases usually
occur in children under age 15 who are expe-
riencing their second dengue infection.
There is no treatment for dengue fever
except to take analgesics such as acetami-
nophen or paracetamol (Tylenol) and drink
plenty of fluids. Severe cases may require
hospitalization for intravenous fluids and
supportive care. There is no vaccine. The cor-
nerstone of prevention is insect-protection
measures, described on opposite.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is the second most common
travel-related infection (after travelers’ diar-
rhea). It occurs throughout the Caribbean,
particularly in the northern islands. Hepatitis
A is a viral infection of the liver that is usually
acquired by ingestion of contaminated water,
food or ice, though it may also be acquired
by direct contact with infected persons. The
illness occurs throughout the world, but
H E A LT H
the incidence is higher in developing na-
tions. Symptoms may include fever, malaise,
jaundice, nausea, vomiting and abdominal
pain. Most cases resolve without complica-
tions, though hepatitis A occasionally causes
severe liver damage. There is no treatment.
The vaccine for hepatitis A is extremely
safe and highly effective. If you get a booster
six to 12 months later, it lasts for at least 10
years. You really should get it before you
go to any developing nation. Because the
safety of hepatitis A vaccine has not been
established for pregnant women or children
under age two, they should instead be given
a gamma globulin injection.
Hepatitis B
Like hepatitis A, hepatitis B is a liver infec-
tion that occurs worldwide but is more com-
mon in developing nations. Unlike hepatitis
A, the disease is usually acquired by sexual
contact or by exposure to infected blood,
generally through blood transfusions or
contaminated needles. The vaccine is rec-
ommended only for long-term travelers (on
the road more than six months) who expect
to live in rural areas or have close physical
contact with locals. Additionally, the vaccine
is recommended for anyone who anticipates
sexual contact with the local inhabitants or
www.lonelyplanet.com
a possible need for medical, dental or other
treatments while abroad, especially if a need
for transfusions or injections is expected.
Hepatitis B vaccine is safe and highly
effective. However, a total of three injec-
tions are necessary to establish full immu-
nity. Several countries added the hepatitis
B vaccine to the list of routine childhood
immunizations in the 1980s, so many young
adults are already protected.
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS has been reported in all Carib-
bean countries. More than 2% of all adults
in the Caribbean carry HIV, which makes
it the second-worst-affected region in the
world, after sub-Saharan Africa. The highest
prevalence is reported in the Bahamas, Haiti
and Trinidad and Tobago. In the Caribbean,
most cases are related to heterosexual con-
tacts, especially with sex workers. Be sure
to use condoms for all sexual encounters.
If you think you might visit a piercing or
tattoo parlor, or if you have a medical con-
dition that might require an injection, make
certain you bring along your own sterile
needles.
Typhoid Fever
Typhoid is uncommon on most of the Car-
ibbean islands, except Haiti, which has re-
ported a number of typhoid outbreaks.
Typhoid fever is caused by ingestion of
food or water contaminated by a species of
salmonella known as Salmonella typhi. Fever
occurs in virtually all cases. Other symptoms
may include headache, malaise, muscle aches,
dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea and ab-
dominal pain. Either diarrhea or constipation
may occur. Possible complications include
intestinal perforation, intestinal bleeding,
confusion, delirium or (rarely) coma.
Typhoid vaccine is recommended for all
travelers to Haiti, and for travelers to the
other islands who expect to stay in rural
areas for an extended period or who may
consume potentially contaminated food or
water. Typhoid vaccine is usually given orally,
but is also available as an injection. Nei-
ther vaccine is approved for use in children
under age two. If you get typhoid fever, the
drug of choice is usually a quinolone anti-
biotic such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) or levo-
floxacin (Levaquin), which many travelers
carry for treatment of travelers’ diarrhea.
www.lonelyplanet.com I N T H E B A HA MA S & T U R K S & C A I C O S • • T r a v e l e r s ’ D i a r r h e a 299
Yellow Fever
There is no yellow fever on the Bahamas or
Turks and Caicos, but they require proof of
yellow fever vaccination if you’re arriving
there from a yellow-fever-infected country
in Africa or the Americas.
Yellow fever vaccine is provided only in
approved yellow fever vaccination centers,
which provide validated international cer-
tificates of vaccination (‘yellow booklets’).
The vaccine should be given at least 10 days
before any potential exposure to yellow fever
and remains effective for approximately 10
years. Reactions to the vaccine are generally
mild and may include headaches, muscle
aches, low-grade fevers or discomfort at the
injection site. Severe, life-threatening reac-
tions have been described but are extremely
rare. In general, the risk of becoming ill
from the vaccine is far less than the risk of
becoming ill from yellow fever, and you’re
strongly encouraged to get the vaccine.
TRAVELERS’ DIARRHEA
To prevent diarrhea, avoid tap water unless
it has been boiled, filtered or chemically dis-
infected (with iodine tablets); eat fresh fruits
or vegetables only if cooked or peeled; be
wary of dairy products that might contain
unpasteurized milk; and be highly selective
when eating food from street vendors.
If you develop diarrhea, be sure to drink
plenty of fluid, preferably an oral rehydra-
tion solution containing lots of salt and
sugar. A few loose stools don’t require treat-
ment, but if you start having more than four
or five stools a day, you should start taking
an antibiotic (usually a quinolone drug) and
an antidiarrheal agent (such as loperamide).
If diarrhea is bloody or persists for more
than 72 hours or is accompanied by fever,
shaking chills or severe abdominal pain, you
should seek medical attention.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
Animal Bites
Do not attempt to pet, handle or feed any
animal, with the exception of domestic ani-
mals known to be free of any infectious dis-
ease. Most animal injuries are directly related
to a person’s attempt to touch or feed the
animal.
Any bite or scratch by a mammal, includ-
ing bats, should be promptly and thoroughly
cleansed with large amounts of soap and
water, then an antiseptic such as iodine or
alcohol should be applied. The local health
authorities should be contacted immediately
regarding possible postexposure rabies treat-
ment, whether or not you’ve been immun-
ized against rabies. It may also be advisable
to start an antibiotic, since wounds caused
by animal bites and scratches frequently be-
come infected. One of the newer quinolones,
such as levofloxacin (Levaquin), which many
travelers carry in case of diarrhea, would be
an appropriate choice.
Mosquito Bites
To prevent mosquito bites, wear long sleeves,
long pants, hats and shoes (rather than san-
dals). Bring along a good insect repellent,
preferably one containing DEET, which
should be applied to exposed skin and cloth-
ing but not to eyes, mouth, cuts, wounds or
irritated skin. In general, adults and children
over 12 should use preparations containing
25% to 35% DEET, which usually lasts about
six hours. Children between two and 12 years
of age should use preparations containing
H E A LT H
no more than 10% DEET, applied sparingly,
which will usually last about three hours.
Products containing lower concentrations of
DEET are as effective, but for shorter peri-
ods of time. Neurological toxicity has been
reported from DEET, especially in children,
but appears to be extremely uncommon and
generally related to overuse. Compounds
containing DEET should not be used on
children under the age of two.
Insect repellents containing certain bo-
tanical products, including eucalyptus oil
and soybean oil, are effective but last only
1½ to two hours. Repellents containing
DEET are preferable for areas where there
is a high risk of malaria, dengue fever or
yellow fever. Products based on citronella
are not effective.
For additional protection, you can apply
permethrin to clothing, shoes, tents and
bed nets. Permethrin treatments are safe
and remain effective for at least two weeks,
even when items are laundered. Permethrin
should not be applied directly to skin.
Don’t sleep with the window open un-
less there is a screen. If sleeping outdoors
or in accommodations that allow entry of
mosquitoes, use a bed net, preferably treated
with permethrin, with edges tucked in under
the mattress. The mesh size should be less
 300 IN THE BAHAMAS & TURKS & CAICOS •• Children & Pregnant Women
than 0.6in (1.5mm). If the sleeping area is
not otherwise protected, use a mosquito
coil, which will fill the room with insecticide
through the night. Wristbands impregnated
with repellent are not effective.
Sun
To protect yourself from excessive sun ex-
posure, you should stay out of the midday
sun, wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed
sun hat, and apply sunscreen with SPF 15 or
higher, with both UVA and UVB protection.
Sunscreen should be generously applied to
all exposed parts of the body approximately
30 minutes before sun exposure and should
be reapplied after swimming or vigorous
activity. Travelers should also drink plenty
of fluids and avoid strenuous exercise when
the temperature is high.
Water
Tap water is safe to drink in the Bahamas
and Turks and Caicos.
H E A LT H
www.lonelyplanet.com
CHILDREN & PREGNANT WOMEN
In general, it’s safe for children and pregnant
women to go to the Bahamas and Turks and
Caicos. When traveling with children, make
sure they’re up to date on all routine immu-
nizations. It’s sometimes appropriate to give
children some of their vaccines a little early
before visiting a developing nation. You
should discuss this with your pediatrician.
If pregnant, you should bear in mind that
should a complication such as premature
labor develop while you’re on the islands,
the quality of medical care may not be com-
parable to that in your home country.
Since the yellow fever vaccine is not rec-
ommended for pregnant women or children
less than nine months old, these travelers, if
arriving from a country with yellow fever,
should obtain a waiver letter, preferably
written on letterhead stationary and bear-
ing the stamp used by official immunization
centers to validate the international certifi-
cate of vaccination.

Glossary
English, the official language and that of
business and daily life, is spoken by every-
one but a handful of Haitian immigrants,
who speak their own Creole. Many words in
the region’s lexicon are carryovers from the
early English colonial days. You may, for ex-
ample, be served a drink in a ‘goblet.’ Other
words have been passed down from Africa,
such as bo-bo (fool) and nyam (to eat).
‘True-true’ Bahamians normally speak
both Bahamian Standard English (BSE) and
their own distinct island patois, a musical
Caribbean dialect with its own rhythm and
cadence. Though there are variances among
the islands and between Blacks and Whites,
all sectors of Bahamian society understand
patois, the language of the street.
The official language of the Turks and
Caicos Islands is English. The local island-
ers’ distinct dialect bears much resemblance
to the Bahamian dialect. The Haitians speak
their own French-based Creole patois.
All is well? – How are you today?
Bahama Mama – rum, fruit juice and coffee liqueur
cocktail
Bahama parrot – endangered indigenous species of parrot
bangers and mash – a meal of sausages and mashed
potatoes, usually served with baked beans
blockade running – avoiding the blockade during the
American Civil War by traveling through the Bahamas to
supply the Confederates
bo-bo – a fool or idiot
bound – constipated
cascating – being sick or vomiting
chile – a child or youngster
conch – large endangered marine snail, the flesh of which
is a popular staple of Bahamian diet
Conchy Joes – Loyalist descendants
cook-outs – meals cooked outside, normally a social
gathering with music
dress down to a fowl feather – to get dressed
respectably eg for church services
fillymingo – flamingo
Fish Fry – a collection of informal bars and takeouts,
prime party spots at weekends
301
fishenin – fishing
flim – movie, film
goblet – a glass, such as a goblet of beer
Gombay – otherwise called ‘Junkanoo’ is a fruit drink,
popular with children
goombay – island music derived from the days of slavery
Goombay Smash – a classic Bahamian rum cocktail
Guava Duff – traditional Bahamian dessert made from
guava jelly and sponge
go spillygatin’ – going out to party
grits – a tapioca-like side dish (made of potato)
Gussy Mae – term of affection for a woman with an
ample posterior
Hey man – typical colloquial and cordial greeting
jerk – peppery seasoning used in Jamaican cooking
Junkanoo – Boxing Day street carnival with parades,
costumes and goombay music
johnnycakes – sweet bread or drop-scones made with
shortening, fried or baked
Kalik – award-winning, locally brewed Bahamian beer
Loyalists – American colonists who supported British
royalty during the US Revolution
man – friend
mash up – smashed up, such as a car after it has been
in an accident
montell – a rogue; a person (typically a man) who is
GLOSSARY
befriending people for their wealth
Moon Juice – alcoholic drink made with fresh coconut
water and rum
no see ums – aggressive and invisible sandflies, whose
bites will leave you itching for days
nyam – to eat or to consume
obeah – African-based practice; communicating with spirits
peas ’n’ rice – commonplace side dish of boiled or fried
rice and kidney beans
peas ’n’ rice boungy – a woman with an ample posterior
pinas – pineapples
Pineathelon – a triathlon, run as part of the Pineapple
Festival on the island of Eleuthera
plantain – banana variety and side dish that tastes like
squash
 © Lonely Planet Publications
302 G L O S S A R Y

potcake – mongrel dog, fed food from the bottom of pots
pudin de pan – bread pudding, a traditional English dessert
rake ’n’ scrape – music made with household objects
used as percussion
rat – wrath
rigging and chatting – a cornerstone of religious
celebrations, much like a call and answer sermon
rum – local alcohol made from molasses, which comes in
many flavors and strengths
Rum Cream – chilled drink made with rum, cream,
custard and spices
sapodilla – fruit often made into custard and ice cream
seed-pods – a shaker that can be used as a popular
musical instrument
slippy dick – a slipped disc
souse – a stew made from fish, goat and mutton often
utilizing offal
soursop – also known as custard apple, a sweet and
musky fruit used in ice cream
GLOSSARY
spiny lobster – the traditional Caribbean lobster, very
popular
steak and kidney pud’ – pastry-topped pie, made with
kidney and steak; a traditional English dish
strongbark – tree with brilliantly colored white flowers,
sometimes called the butterfly tree
T’anks – thank you
Ting – Jamaica’s exported grapefruit carbonated drink,
very tasty
tot – though
t’ree – three
true-true – definitely correct or real and genuine
Turks Head – local dark brewed beer made in the Turks
and Caicos Islands
What happ’nin? – How are you? What has happened
to you lately?
Who yo daddy is? – Where are you from?
wining – an intimate and common form of dancing
across the Caribbean and West Indies

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 © Lonely Planet Publications
309

Index

INDEX
A Atlantis 78, 88 Paradise Island 76-9
Abaco National Park 40, 165 ATMs 283 Pelican Point Beach 119
Abacos 146-73, 147 Pigeon Cay Beach 214
accommodations 270-2 B Pink Sands Beach 178, 5
Acklins Island 232-3, 230 Bacardi Rum Factory 99 Pirate’s Cove 79
activities 272-6, see also individual Bahamas Billfish Championship 152 Port Royal Beach 215
activities Bahamas National Trust 39 Pretty Molly Beach 202
Adelaide 98-9 Bahamas National Trust Park 41, 237 Saunders Beach 76, 78
Admiral Cockburn Land Bahamas Reef Environment Shell Beach 231
& Sea Park 43, 242 Educational Foundation 50, 89 Silver Point Beach 106
adventure travel 234 Bahamas, the Snorkeler’s Cove Beach 79
air travel, see also individual economy 26, 30 Snow Bay Beach 219
islands employment 26 Somerset Beach 140
to/from the Bahamas 288-9 itineraries 16 South Ocean Beach 98
to/from Turks & Caicos 291-2 Bain Town 213 Sugar Loaf Beach 219
within the Bahamas 293 baseball 95 Surfer’s Beach 186
within Turks & Caicos 294 batiks 140 Tahiti Beach 157
Albert Town 232 bats 37-8, 42, 118, 210, 215, 227, Taino Beach 106
Allan’s Cays 203, 6, 123 231, 255, 274 Ten Bay Beach 190
American Revolution 64 beach parties 254, 280 Tiki Hut Beach 132
Andros 135-45, 136 beaches 5, 6, 7, 123, 124 Tropic of Cancer Beach 202
travel to/from 142 Adelaide Beach 99 Watermelon Beach 226
travel within 142 Bambarra Beach 256 Western Esplanade Beach 78
animals 41-2, see also individual Barbary Beach 106 Whitby Beach 254
species Bathing Beach 231 White Sands Beach 263
Arawak Cay 75 Cabbage Beach 79 Xanadu Beach 106
Arawak Indians 21 Cabbage Point Beach 229 Beatles, the 86
archaeological sites 219, 233, 274 Cable Beach 75-6 beauty contests 84, 247
architecture 211 Churchill 106 beer 57, 106, 280
Bahamas, the 34-5 Deal’s Beach 225 Belle Sound & Admiral Cockburn Cays
Gothic 210 East Beach 219 Nature Reserve 43, 242
Turks & Caicos 34-5 Eleuthera 189 Bennett’s Harbour 214
Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Farquharson Beach 237 Berry Islands 133-5, 133
Park 75 Fernandez Bay 210 travel to/from 135
area codes, see inside front cover Fortune 106 travel within 135
art Gillam Bay Beach 170 bicycle travel, see cycling
Bahamas, the 35 Gold Rock Beach 119 Biminis 126-33, 126
Turks & Caicos 35-6 Governor’s Beach 263 travel to/from 126-7
art galleries 71, 74 Grace Bay Beach 242, 6, 7 travel within 127
Albert Lowe Studio 169 Grotto Beach 219 birds of prey 39, 40, 42, 104, 205, 252
commercial galleries 25-6, 74, 95, Hawksbill Cay beaches 205 birds, see individual species
115-16, 164 itineraries 16, 19 bird-watching 63, 82, 83, 164, 197,
National Art Gallery of the James Cistern Beach 186 207, 215, 219, 234, 236, 260,
Bahamas 35 Lighthouse Beach 191 263, 273
Arthur’s Town 215 Love Beach 98 Black Sound Cay National Reserve 40
artifacts 73, 169, 219 Love Beaches 224 Blackbeard 74, see also pirates
arts Lucaya Beach 106 Blanket Sound 40
Bahamas, the 32-5 Man O’ War Point Beach 215 blue holes 37, 49, 52, 79, 118, 119,
festivals 84, 109, 152, 166 Orange Hill Beach 98 138, 139, 144, 190, 196, 200, 215,
Turks & Caicos 32-6 Paradise Beach 79 226, 228, 6
 310 Index (B-D)
Bluff, the 144
INDEX
boat excursions 130, 273-4, 295
Abacos 151, 170
Berry Islands 134
Caicos Islands 246
Cat Island 210
Eleuthera 178
Exumas, the 197
Grand Bahama 108
New Providence 80
San Salvador 218
Turks Islands 266
boat travel, see also cruise ships,
catamaran cruises
to/from the Bahamas 289-90
to/from Turks & Caicos 292
within the Bahamas 293
within Turks & Caicos 292
Bond, James 32, 87, 206, 235
Bonefish Pond National Park 41
books 14, 21, 23, 24, 25, 33, 35, 36,
37, 38, 44, 56, 57, 59, see also
literature
beaches 189
Bourke, Martin 28
British occupation 22, 64, 101, 213
Brosnan, Pierce 37
business hours 276
C Columbus, Christopher 21, 27, 72,
Cable Beach 75-8, 76
Caicos Islands 240-57, 241
travel to/from 291-2
travel within 250
Calabash Bay 140
car travel 29, see also individual
islands
within the Bahamas 293-4
within Turks & Caicos 295
Cargill Creek 142
casinos 76, 94, 110-11, 115
castles 220
Castro, Fidel 23, 99
Casuarina Point 164
Cat Island 209-15, 209, 7, 123
travel to/from 212
travel within 212
catamaran cruises 182
caves 98, 101, 107, 118, 138, 186,
210, 214, 215, 219, 222, 224,
227, 231
000 Map pages
000 Location of color photographs
Index (D-H) 311
caving 274 cultural considerations 15, 59 diving continued Exumas, the 192-207, 193 gay travelers 84, 281
INDEX
cemeteries 74, 118, 127, 157, 169, culture wreck-dives 45, 51, 52, 127, 140, travel to/from 199 geography
178, 213 Bahamas, the 29-36, 60, 104, 139, 151, 178, 217, 219, 220, 231, travel within 199-200 Bahamas, the 37
Chalk Sound National Park 42, 242, 139, 197, 209, 212, 215 252, 263, 267 Turks & Caicos 41
245 Turks & Caicos 29-36 dolphins F George III 75
Chat n Chill Bar & Grill 58 Current 184-5 Atlantic spotted 32, 39, 125, 126 Family Islands 30, 35, 167, 194, George Town 193-200, 196
Cherokee Sound 164 customs regulations 278, 290 bottlenose 39, 42, 243, 5 197, 222 glow worms 246
Chez Pierre Bahamas 58, 225 cycling 273, 293, 295 dolphin encounters 50, 80, 81, Father Jerome 34, 75, 211, 228 Gold Rock Creek 119
chickcarnies (mythological creatures) Czernin, Count Ferdinand 241 107, 129-30, 169, 243, 274 Ferguson, Amos 35 golf 82, 98, 108, 166
139 Drake, Francis 22 festivals & events, see also Junkanoo Government House (Nassau) 71-2
children D drinks 57-8, 281, 300 Abacos 152 Governor’s Harbour 187-9, 188
activities with 33, 78, 109-10 dangers 53, 70, 101, 137, 210, 217, driver’s license Andros 139 Grace Bay Beach 242, 6, 7
travel with 59-60, 87, 106, 276, 278 Bahamas, the 294 Bahamas 279-81 Grace’s Cottage 58
300 Dean’s blue hole 228, 6 Turks & Caicos 295 Biminis 130 Grand Bahama 100-20, 102-3
Christie, Prime Minister Perry 26 deep vein thrombosis 297 drug-trafficking 20, 25, 28, 32, 205, Caicos Islands 247, 281 travel to/from 117
Chub Cay 135 Dellis Cay 253 231, 278, 282 Exumas, the 197 travel within 117-18
churches 71, 73, 74, 75, 120, 178, 202, dengue fever 297-8 drugs, illicit 282 food 58, 185, 263, 280 Grand Bahama Conchman Triathlon
212, 213, 217, 225, 228, 230, 232 Department of Agriculture duff 56 Grand Bahama 109-10 110
Churchill, Sir Winston 86 (New Providence) 63 Duke of Windsor 24 music 210, 280-1 Grand Cay 173
cigars 71, 96, 116 Department of Environment Dumfries 214 New Providence 83-4 Grand Turk 260-6, 260, 124
cinemas 24, 29, 94, 115 & Coastal Resources 44 Dunmore 229 sports 152, 170, 187, 197, 206, Grand Turk Cays Land & Sea Park
Clarence Town 227-8, 123 diarrhea 299 Dunmore Town 175, 179 210, 247, 263, 280 43, 266
climate 13, 277-8, see also hurricanes disabled travelers 279 Turks Islands 263, 281 Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant 86
Cloisters 77 discounts 58 E Fish Frys 75, 91, 92, 138, 142, 143, Great Exuma 193-202, 194-5
Club Caribe 58 Discovery Island 76 eagle rays 151, 220, 257, see also 145, 167, 187, 189, 199, 201 Great Guana Cay 162-4, 206-7,
Cockburn Town 217-19, 261-6, 262 diving 29, 45-54, 274, see also blue manta rays, stingrays fishing 274 163
cocktails 57, 171, see also rum holes East Bay Islands National Park 42, fishing industry 20, 89, 183 Great Harbour Cay 134-5
Coco Bay 169 Abacos 51-2, 53, 151, 157, 165, 242, 254 fishing tournaments 130, 152 Great Inagua 235-7, 234-5
Colonel Hill 229-30 169 East Caicos 256 Flamingo Pond 254 Green Turtle Cay 167-72, 168, 5
Andros 49, 54, 140 economy Flamingo Tongue Reef 51 Gregory Town 185-6
217, 219, 222-4, 229, 232, 261 Bahamas, the 46-7 Bahamas, the 20, 26 flamingos (West Indian) 38, 42, 75, grits 55
Columbus Harbour 224 Biminis 49-50, 53, 127 Turks & Caicos 20 164, 234, 236, 252, 254, 8 groupers 51, 56, 89, 151, 169
Columbus Landfall National Park 43 Caicos Islands 54, 246, 251-2, ecotourism 104, 109, 144, 253 Fleming, Ian 32 Groves, Wallace 101
Compass Cay 205 257, 124 eels, moray 51, 151, 169 floorshows 94, 115 Guy Fawkes Night 84
Compass Point 98, 121 Cat Island 49, 54, 210-11 Elbow Cay 156 food 55-60, 83, 281
Compleat Angler Hotel 131 cave diving 107 Eleuthera 174-91, 176-7 Bahamas, the 55-7 H
Conception Island 220 costs 52 travel to/from 182 customs 60 Haitian people 30, 35
Conception Island National Park Crooked Island 231 travel within 183 dining hot spots 58 Halloween 110
40, 220 dive centers 52-4 Eleuthera Point 191, 6 festivals 58, 83, 185, 263, 280 Harbour Island 175-83
conch 42, 56, 89, 245 Eleuthera 52, 54, 178 Elizabeth I 22 Turks & Caicos 57 Harris, Rolph 35
Conch Bar Caves National Park 42, Exumas, the 50-1, 54, 195-6, 206 Emancipation Day 75, 83, 280 Fort George Cay 253 Harrold & Wilson Ponds 41, 63
242, 255, 274 Grand Bahama 53, 78, 106-7, embassies forts 64, 73, 74, 75, 193, 213, 231, hawks 39, 40, 42
consulates 120, 8 Bahamas, the 279 267 Hawk’s Nest 213
Bahamas, the 279 Inaguas 235 Turks & Caicos 279 fountains 75 Hawksbill Cay 205
Turks & Caicos 279 itineraries 19 emergencies 68, 70, 243, 261, 274, Freeport 101-18, 104-5 Hawksbill Creek 120
coral gardens 40, 45, 75, 77, 79 live-aboards 54 286 French Cay 252 Hayek, Salma 37
Coral Harbour 99 Long Island 51, 53, 226 employment 30 French Wells 231 Healing Hole 127
costs 13-14, 270-1, 281, see also inside New Providence 45-8, 53, 79, environmental issues 20, 26, 38, Fresh Creek 40, 140 health 296-300, see also medical
front cover 121 39-40, 50, 81, 89, 219 fruit 56, 185 services, traditional medicine
Crab Cay 40 safety 53 Ernest Hemingway Museum 127 Hemingway, Ernest 32, 127, 129, 131
credit cards 283 San Salvador 50, 54, 217, 219 exchange rates, see inside front G hepatitis 298
cricket 75 shark diving 45-8 cover Galliot Cay 224 herons 42, 104
Crooked Island 229-32, 230 Turks Islands 54, 263, 266, 267-8 Exuma Cays 203-7, 204 galleries, see art galleries High Cay Land & Sea Park 219
cruise ships 289-90, 292, 8 Walker’s Cay 51 Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park 39, 40, gardens 74, 75, 77, 105, 106, 157, High Rock 144
cruises 80 wall-diving 135, 213, 217, 257 204-5 169, see also parks Highborne Cay 203
 312 Index (H-M)
hiking 63, 83, 144, 160, 164, 205, 210,
INDEX
255, 275-6, see also nature tours
plantation trails 210
historic houses 71, 72, 150, 213,
214, 231
Historical Library & Museum
(Nassau) 73
history (the Bahamas) 21-6, 73
20th century 23-4
21st century 20, 25
Bahamas Historical Society
Museum (Nassau) 73
books 21, 23, 24, 25
British occupation 22
Loyalists 23
rum trade 23
slavery 21, 23, 31, 65, 72, 74, 75,
193, 205
Spanish occupation 21-2
websites 21, 22, 26
WWII 24
history (Turks & Caicos) 27-8
20st century 28
21st century 20
books 27-8
WWII 27
hitchhiking
Bahamas, the 294
Turks & Caicos 295
HIV/AIDS 298
holidays 13, 281-2, see also
itinieraries, planning
Hope Town 155, 158
horses 41
horseback riding 82, 83, 108,
180, 247
horse-drawn surreys 73
hummingbirds 104, 118
hunting 137
hurricanes 26, 38, 148, 175, 278
I travel within 225
iguanas 40, 42, 43, 75, 80, 203, 6, 123
Inaguas 233-8, 233
insurance 282, 294, 295, 296
International Bazaar 103
Internet access 282
Internet resources 14, 21, 22, 26,
271-2, 296-7
isolated islands 207
itineraries 11, 16-19, 68
000 Map pages
000 Location of color photographs
Index (M-P) 313
J M music continued Northwest Point Marine National parks 75, see also gardens, national
INDEX
jails 73, 75 Macpherson, Elle 86 music stores 116, 182 Park 42, 242 parks
jogging 82 magazines 271 R&B 110 Pelican Cays Land & Sea Park 160 parrot, Bahama 40, 104
johnnycakes 55 magic practice 32, 212 rake ‘n’ scrape 33, 210, 280 Peterson Cay National Park 40, 118 Parrot Cay 253
Junkanoo 33-4, 73, 96, 109-10, 170, mail boats 293 Princess Alexandra National Park passports, see also visas
191, 197, 254, 280, 5 Malone, Brent 35 N 42, 242 Bahamas, the 287
Mamma Rhoda Cay 40 Nassau 63-98, 66-7, 69, 6, 8, 121 South Creek National Park 43 Turks & Caicos 291
K Man O’ War Cay 160, 161 accommodations 84-8 Three Mary Cays National Park 42, Pelican Cays Land & Sea Park 160
kayaking 186, 197, 247, 276, 6 Mangrove Cay 143-4 attractions 70-8 242, 254 ‘People to People’ program 109
Abacos 151 manta rays 43, 119, see also eagle drinking 92-3 Walker’s Cay Marine Park 41 Peterson Cay National Park 40, 118
Kemp’s Bay 144-5 rays, stingrays emergency services 68 West Caicos Marine National Park Pigeon Pond & Frenchman’s Creek
King, Martin Luther Jr 127 marathon 263 entertainment 93-4 42, 242 Nature Reserve 245
Knowles 214 marijuana 282 festivals 83-4 nature reserves Pink Sands Beach 178, 5
marinas 88, 107, 109, 112, 117, 120, food 88-91 Belle Sound & Admiral Cockburn pigs, swimming 206
L 130, 133, 135, 141, 153, 155, Internet access 68 Cays Nature Reserve 43, 242 Pine Cay 252
Lake Catherine Nature Reserve 42, 160-1, 162, 164, 170, 182-3, 203, itineraries 68 Black Sound Cay National Reserve pineapples 185
242 206, 207, 212, 214, 218, 219, 231, medical services 70 40 pirates 22, 64, 74, 80, 126
lakes 42, 213, 215, 236, 242 251, 265 shopping 72, 74, 95-6 Lake Catherine Nature Reserve Pirates of Nassau Museum 71
Landrail Point 231 markets 72, 74, 115, 144 tourist information 70 42, 242 Plana Cays 233
language, see glossary for local Mars Bay 144-5 travel to/from 96 Middle Caicos Reserve & Trail planning 13-15, 138, see
phrases Marsh Harbour 148-55, 149, 150-1, travel within 96-8 System 42, 242, 255 also itineraries
Lee Stocking Island 207 123 underwater excursions 81 Rand Memorial Nature Centre 103 plantations 139, 165, 193, 198, 200,
legal matters 282 Matthew Town 235-6 Nassau Botanical Garden 75 Tilloo Cay National Reserve 40 203, 213, 218, 243, 251, 255
lesbian travelers 84, 281 Mayaguana 233-8, 237-8, 233 National Art Gallery of the Bahamas New Bight 210-12 Adderley plantation 224
libraries 73 McKann’s 225 35 New Providence 62-99, 64-5 Armbister plantation 210
lighthouses 74, 141, 157, 165, 191, McLean’s Town 119 National Centre for the Performing newspapers 271 Farquharson plantation 219
219, 231, 235, 263 measures, see inside front cover Arts 94 Newton Cay 224 Grays plantation 227
literature 32-3, see also books medical services national parks 39, 44, 63, 101, Nicholl’s Town 138 ruins 205, 209, 210, 212, 219, 222,
children’s 33 Bahamas, the 70, 297 118-19, 148, 160, 165, 204, 220, Norman’s Cay 203 227, 229
Little Abaco 173 Turks & Caicos 297 237, 242, 245, 254, 259, see North Bight 40 Wades Green plantation 254
Little Exuma 202-3, 194-5 mermaids 213 also nature reserves, parks North Bimini 127-32, 128 plants 39, 43, 103, 118
Little Farmer’s Cay 207 metric conversions, see inside front Abaco National Park 40, 165 North Caicos 253-5, 253 Poitier, Sidney 30, 33
Little Harbour 164 cover Admiral Cockburn Land & Sea Park North Cat Cay 133 population
Little Inagua 41, 235-7, 237, 234-5 Middle Caicos 255-6, 256 43, 242 North Cat Island 214-17 Bahamas, the 20, 29-30
Little Island 41 Middle Caicos Reserve & Trail System Bahamas National Trust Park North Eleuthera 175-90 Turks & Caicos 20
Little Water Cay 252 42, 242, 255 41, 237 North Long Island 222-6 Port Howe 213
lobsters 183 model-boat building 169 Bonefish Pond National Park Northwest Cays 173 Port Lucaya Marketplace & Village
Lochabar Bay 228 monasteries 75, 210, 211 41 Northwest Point 245, 124 106, 122
Long Cay 232, 230 money 13-14, 282-3, see also inside Chalk Sound National Park 42, Northwest Point Marine National postal services 283
Long Island 222-9, 223 front cover 242, 245 Park 42, 242 Potter’s Cay 74
travel to/from 224-5 Morgan’s Bay 213 Columbus Landfall National powerboats 84
Moriah Harbour Cay 40, 205 Park 43 O Preacher’s Cave 184
Lord Dunmore 175 mosquitoes 299 Conception Island National Park obeah (magic practice) 32, 212 Primeval Forest 41
Lowe, Albert 169 motorcycle travel 293 40, 220 Old Bight 212-13 Prince George Wharf 73
Loyalist Cays 155-64 Mt Alvernia Hermitage 210, 8 Conch Bar Caves National Park 42, Old Free Town 118 Princess Alexandra National Park
Loyalists 31, 155, 170, 175, 178, 193, movies 29, 32, 37, 57, 87, 206, 235 242, 255, 274 Olympic Games 27 42, 242
203, 210, 220, 243, 254, 255 museums 72, 127, 157, 169, 183, 217, East Bay Islands National Park 42, Orange Creek 215 Prohibition 65
Lubber’s Quarters Cay 160 227, 235, 261 242, 254 ospreys 42, 104, 205, 252 Providenciales 242-51, 244-5
Lucaya 101-18, 104-5, 122 music, see also Junkanoo Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park 39, Our Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort accommodations 247-8
Lucayan Indians 21, 72, 73, 98, 118, Bahamas, the 33-4 40, 204-5 111 drinking 248-9
147, 219, 222, 233, 241, 255, festivals 33-4, 83, 109-10, 152, Grand Turk Cays Land & Sea Park entertainment 249-50
259, 274 170, 210, 263, 280-1 43, 266 P food 248-9
Lucayan National Park 41, 118-19, goombay 33, 116 High Cay Land & Sea Park 219 Paradise Island 76-9, 77, 121 shopping 250-1
122 jazz 110 Lucayan National Park 41, 118-19, accommodations 87-8 travel to/from 251
Lyford Cay 98 live music 115 122 food 91-2 travel within 251
 © Lonely Planet Publications
314 I n d e x ( R -T ) I n d e x ( T - Z ) 315

R scams 97 travel within 222, 225, 229, 231, time 305 Turtle Cove 228 water sports 81, 276
INDEX

INDEX
racquetball 82 Seminole Indians 140 233, 235 tipping 59 turtles 39, 157, 220 Caicos Islands 246
radio 271 shark encounters 45-8, 50, 79, 107 Spanish Cay 173 tourist industry 25-6 freshwater 210, 237 Grand Bahama 108
Raleigh, Sir Walter 22 sharks Spanish exploration 147 tourist information 68, 79, 150, 285 green 39, 40, 43, 237 New Providence 78, 80
Ramsar Site 42, 254 blacktip 51, 257 Spanish occupation 21-2 tours 275, see also boat excursions, hawksbill 39, 43, 267 water taxis 293
Rand Memorial Nature Centre 41, 103 hammerhead 79, 220 Spanish Wells 183-4, 184 cruises leatherback 43 Watling’s Castle 220
Rand, James 103 nurse 51 spas 248 Abacos 152 loggerhead 39, 43, 167 websites, see Internet resources
recipes 55, 57, 59 reef 51, 121 special events, see festivals Caicos Islands 247 red-eared 105 weddings 78
Red Bay 140 Ship Channel Cay 203 sponging industry 137 Exumas, the 197 typhoid 298 weights, see inside front cover
reefs 40, 50-2, 54, 129, 135-6 shipwrecks 45, 51, 52, 127, 140, 151, sportfishing 138, 142, 143, 152, 170, Grand Bahama 109 West Caicos 251-2
regattas 109, 130, 134, 152, 155, 178, 217, 219, 220, 252, 263, 267 275, see also fishing Inaguas 237 U West Caicos Marine National Park
162, 170, 187, 191, 194-5, 197, shopping Abacos 151, 157, 165, 170 nature tours 104, 109, 144, Underwater Explorers Society 42, 242
201, 206, 207, 210, 219, 226, 232, antiques 95 Andros 141 253 107 West End 120
247, 254 arts 250 Biminis 130 New Providence 82-3 Union Creek Reserve 41 whales 37, 39
religion Bahamas, the 284 Caicos Islands 246 San Salvador 218 blue 39
Bahamas, the 31-2 cigars 96 Eleuthera 178-80 traditional beliefs 60, 139, 215 V humpback 39, 257, 263, 268
Turks & Caicos 31-2 clothing 116 Exumas, the 197 traditional medicine 30, 104, 197 vaccinations 296 whale-watching 268
resorts 58, 87, 88, 269, 272 commercial art 25-6, 115-16, 164 Grand Bahama 107 transportation, see also individual vegetarians travelers 59, White Sound 169
restaurants 58 crafts 95-6 Inaguas 236 transportation methods 154 wildlife, see animals, plants
Retreat, the 41 jewelry 94, 95, 116 New Providence 79-80 to/from the Bahamas 287-91 Versailles Gardens 77 Williams Town 202-3
Rivas, Carlos Lehder 205 music 95, 116, 182 sporting events 84, 109-10, 152, 170, to/from Turks & Caicos 291-2 Victoria, Queen 72 Windermere Island 190
road rules perfume 116 187, 197, 206, 210, 247, 263, 280, within the Bahamas 293-4 views 73, 206, 224, 225 windsurfing 276
Bahamas, the 294 Turks & Caicos 285 see also individual sports within Turks & Caicos 294-5 Vine Point & Ocean Hole Nature wine 57
Turks & Caicos 295 Siboney Indians 22 squash 82 Treasure Cay 165-7, 166 Reserve 43, 242 women travelers 286
rock carvings 27, 245 Sir Charles Hayward 101 Stafford Creek 140 triathlons 110, 152, 280 visas, see also passports women’s health 300
Rock Sound 190-1 slavery 21, 23, 31, 65, 72, 74, 75, stamp collecting 261 Turk’s Head cactus 43 Bahamas, the 285 woodlands 118
Roker’s Bluff 214 193, 205 Staniard Creek 40 Turks & Caicos Turks & Caicos 286 work 286
Roland Lowe, Alton 35 Small Hope Bay 140 Staniel Cay 206 economy 20 vultures, turkey 39 WW I 129
Rolle Cay 200 snorkeling 274 Stella Maris 222-6 itineraries 17
Rolle Town 202 Abacos 151, 162, 157, 169 stingrays 39, 80, 151, 196, see also Turks & Caicos National Museum W Y
Roosevelt, Teddy III 241 Andros 140 eagle rays, manta rays 261 Walker’s Cay 173 yachting 133
rum 23, 57, 99, see also cocktails Biminis 127, 132 Stocking Island 200 Turks & Caicos National Trust 44 Walker’s Cay Marine Park yellow fever 299
Rum Cay 220 Blue Lagoon 80 straw-work 72, 116, 7 Turks Islands 258-69, 259 41 Young Sound 40
Caicos Islands 246 surfing 158, 186, 276 national flag 259 wall dives 79
S Cat Island 210-11 swimming pigs 206 travel to/from 265 water 300 Z
safety issues 53, 70, 101, 137, 210, Crooked Islands 231 travel within 265-6 Water Cay 118 zoos 75
217, 278 Eleuthera 178 T
sailing 187, 197, 203, 210, 273-4, 280, Exumas, the 195-6, 215 Tarpon Cave 151
290-1, 292 itineraries 19 Tauwhare, Richard 28
St Francis Xavier Cathedral 71 Grand Bahama 106-7, 120 taxis 293-5
St Peter’s Catholic Church 228, 123 Long Island 225, 226 Taylor, Max 35
Salt Cay 266-9, 267 New Providence 79 telephone services
salt industry 207, 234, 235, 237, 241 San Salvador 217 Bahamas, the 283
Salt Pond 226 Turks Islands 263 Turks & Caicos 284
Samana Cay 233 Souse 56 television 271
Sampson Cay 205 South Bimini 132-3, 128 tennis 82, 108-9
San Salvador 215-20, 216 South Caicos 256-7, 257 Thanksgiving 84
travel to/from 218-19 South Cat Island 210-14 theaters 84, 94, 115
travel within 219 South Creek National Park 43 theft 278
Sandy Point 165 South Eleuthera 190-1 Three Mary Cays National Park 42, © Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
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